Next to Me
by IceLucy
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is a normal college student. He is popular with the girls, has decent grades, a good amount of friends, a loving family, and loves soccer. One day, he gets paired up with a girl, who is a total loner, for a class project. He always thought the girl was rather quiet but soon realizes she wasn't who he thought she was. [SASUSAKU, other small ships, slight OCC.]
1. Chapter 1

As the raven haired college boy exited his Chemistry class, a hoard of girls surrounded him. They flashed him googly eyes, stood real close to him, and asked him all sorts of questions.

If it was one thing Sasuke hated, it was college. It wasn't because of the teachers or the fact it was school, but because of the people. No matter where he was, all the attention was focused on him. If there was another thing he hated, it was attention.

Sasuke was beginning his junior year of Konohagakure College. By now, he was use to all the attention the girls were giving him. He learned to not give much attention. He'd just brush it off and continue on with his day.

His phone rang. "What's up? Yeah, I'm about to walk into my English class. Sure, alright. Sounds like a plan." Sasuke hung up and calmly walked to his class. He didn't have plans this afternoon, but since his annoying best friend pestered him on playing a quick street game, he had no choice. Sasuke would never hear him shut up.

"Hey Sasuke!" Three girls from his English class crowded around him. "Good Morning! How was your day?"

The Uchiha shoved his hands in his pocket. The last thing he wanted was a posse of fangirls around him. "It was alright." He strolled into the class and plopped down into his seat.

Juugo, the kid that sat to the right of him and long time buddy, leaned over and whispered, "I still see you are as popular as ever. How do you even do it?"

"I've done absolutely nothing. It's the same every semester."

"You're too nice to the ladies' man. Try being a jerk sometime. Hopefully it'll repel them."

"Nah, I can't do that. I don't want to be rude." The raven haired guy took out his notebook. "I just ignore them. " He didn't understand why he attracted so much attention. Sure, he was good looking, but he didn't think he was Channing Tatum good looking. Sasuke was just a middle class guy living a middle class life. There wasn't anything special about him.

Juugo snorted, "Dude, that's your problem! Girl's love it when you ignore them. You push them away and they come running back to you." Their Professor walked in. "Look, all I'm saying is that you have to tell them something."

Sasuke smirked. "I'll manage on my own, but thanks Juugo."

.

After his second class, Sasuke dodged the group of girls and quickly made way to his third class, Psychology. It was the first day for the class. School had already started about a month ago, it was technically a Late Start Class. Upon entering, he immediately recognized half the faces in the class.

Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Ino, Choji, Neji, and Lee.

"Hey! It's Sasuke," Ino blurted out as she waved. "It's been a while hasn't it?"

Choji shoved a cookie into his mouth. "Yeah, it looks like the whole gang is pretty much here."

Shikamaru sighed, "It's annoying, but what can we do? It's like God doesn't want us separated."

It had been years since the whole group was together. At times, Sasuke would see Shikamaru, Hinata, or Ino around campus. He'd stop by to see what's up and catch up with whatever is going on with life. It's funny now that he thinks about it, not much has changed between everyone.

"This sucks." Sasuke took a seat next to Shikamaru. "I was hoping to stay away from you guys," he teased. Everyone snickered. "Anyways, aren't we missing someone?"

"Yeah...," Kiba added. "It looks like we're missing-"

A blonde guy ran into the classroom and nearly toppled over a table. The Professor scolded the clumsy student. Everyone instantly laughed, but he smiled brightly and gave the gang a thumbs up.

"And there he is...," Saskue said in complete embarrassment.

.

 **A/N:**

 **Wow. I haven't posted here this website for a LONG time. I moved over to Wattpad and been posting since then. I decided to come here and share my stories as well! I hope you all will stick around for this book!**

 **Thanks you guys! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

March rolled around and Sasuke's schedule never changed. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he had Chemistry, English, and Psychology. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he attended Trigonometry. After school, he'd go home and either go to work, mope around the house, or play soccer with his buddies. Sometimes he'd shut himself in his room and played video games.

Today was Friday, which was usually meant exam day. To his dismay, Sasuke never usually studied for tests, but luckily, he necessarily didn't have to. All he had to do was read over his notes a couple times and all the information was drilled in his brain.

English was a breeze. If it was any subject he excelled in, it was this particular one. He could have finished his exam much sooner, but his posse of fangirls kept staring him down the entire time. Annoying as it was, he rushed through the exam. It may have affected his grade, but he wasn't all too worried. He could raise his grade anytime throughout the semester.

"Aw man. I didn't study for today's Psych test," Naruto whined as he sped read his textbook, "I need more time!"

"That's what you get for not studying like you're supposed to," Ino replied.

"Shut up. I'm going to pass this test. Believe it."

As Ino and Naruto bickered, Sasuke looked around the class. Compared to his other classes, this one was rather small, even for a Community College. He and his friends nearly made up about half the attendance. He couldn't help but to notice the different kinds of people. There was a kid with darkish red hair and dark eyes, a girl with blonde, spiky pigtails, and several other average looking college students.

Most of them had become friends by the end of the first month. They split into their groups when it was time to and it wasn't much of a hassle.

Well, there was one person that didn't quite fit in.

She sat at the back of the class, against the wall, of the table on the last row. From when she arrived to class to the Professor starting lecture and as soon as he ended class, the girl always wore earphones. It was as if they were a part of her body. It was also as if she was ignoring the people around her.

The only time she spoke is when the Teacher called role. A simple "Here" is all she said. After that, she stuck her face back into her notebook and wrote down notes or doodled or did whatever she did in there.

 _How interesting_ , Sasuke pondered as he eyed the girl. She looked a bit on the short side, but it was difficult to tell when she was sitting. Her pink hair was dyed black at the ends, like an ombre sort of style and it laid comfortable over her shoulder. Her outfit consisted of a plain gray v-neck, blue jeans that were rolled up to about halfway up her shins, and black high top skate shoes.

If her fashion said anything, it was basic. It looked as if she didn't even try to dress herself up this morning. _Weird,_ he thought once again. _Wonder what she's like._

.

Just as Sasuke finished his exam and exited the room, he found Nara waiting for him. "You think that test was easy," he asked.

"Pretty much. The definitions were probably the easiest things on there. You?"

"Same here," Shikamaru paused and looked around. "I can't help but to notice you eyeing someone in class today. Who were you looking at?"

Not wanting to seem like a creep, he tried his best to play it cool. "I was just gazing around class to see who everyone was."

"Dude..."

The Uchiha sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright... I was looking at that girl with the pink hair. I always forget her name."

Shikamaru smirked. "It's Sakura, Sakura Haruno." Sasuke gave him a perplexed look. "I know her because she's in my Government class. Why are you curious about her?"

"Nothing really." Sasuke looked over to the classroom door. He must have dozed off to space because he found his friend calling out his name several times. He got caught up in trying to figure out who Sakura really was. She didn't seem like the high maintaince or pushy type. She seemed like the carefree type, which was rare, but Sasuke didn't want to jump to conclusions. Sakura could be a fake or worse. "What's she like in your other class?"

Shikamaru thought it was strange for Sasuke to be asking about a girl, especially the quiet, pink haired girl. "She doesn't talk much. She's always wearing those headphones of hers. When it comes to partner work, she happens to talk a little, but when the assignment is done, she secludes herself. You don't happen to have a crush on her, do you?"

"What?! No! I don't even know her. She could be psycho for all I know and-"

Suddenly, the girl in pink hair emerged from the classroom. She made eye contact with the two boys, but looked away rapidly as if she were frightened. Sakura walked past the boys in complete silence.

Soon after she turned the corner and disappeared, Nara whispered, "Do you think she heard us?"

"No idea."


	3. Chapter 3

The weekends were the best time the Uchiha had. He could sleep in late and do whatever he wanted without having people breathing down his neck. If he worked, he could sleep in, work for about four to five hours, go home, and do what he wanted.

At times, his Mother would try to get him to study or hang out with friends, but he wouldn't budge. Sasuke spent the entire week going to school and work. The only time he had time to himself was the weekends. No could take that away from him. Except for...

"OI SASUKE! WAKE UP!" His idiot best friend busted through his room. "Dude, there's this tournament today at noon and-"

Sasuke groaned and rolled around in his bed until he found a comfortable spot to settle in. Of all days, it had to be today. "What time is it?"

"8:34 AM. You working today?"

"No."

"Let's go play!"

Sasuke once again shuffled around in his comfortable bed. "Go away. I'm trying to sleep."

Naruto frowned his brows. "Come on-"

"No. Get out."

The blonde knew how busy his best friend was, but he was always the killjoy of the group. He attempted to push his friend out of his comfort zone, but to no avail. For Christ's sake, he was so boring! Today was the day he was going to spice things up.

Without warning, Naruto slid into the bed with Sasuke. He wrapped his arms around his best friend and pulled him close to his body. "I've missed you babe. I love you."

"WHAT THE HELL DUDE," Sasuke screamed as he tried releasing himself from Naruto's grip. "GET OFF OF ME."

"But Sasuke, I really want to cuddle with you. I've missed you so much that my heart can't bear it." The blonde was sure this was going to work. "Stop struggling babe!"

While this was going on, Sasuke's older brother, Itachi stood in the doorway. He held a glass of water in his hand and stared at the guys with extreme discomfort. Sasuke caught sight of him and immediately shot up from the bed. "Itachi, it's not what it looks like."

"I knew it," Itachi muttered to himself. "I guess it was only a matter of time." He slowly backed out of his room and walked down the hallway. "And here I thought he was good with the ladies... Who knew."

Sasuke glared at his best friend. "I freaking hate you. Don't be gay Naruto!" He scratched his head and sighed in frustration. "Fine, fine, fine, FINE. I'll go with you to the stupid tournament." So much for his beauty sleep.

Naruto grinned. His plan managed to work out more than perfect. "Sweet! Oh, by the way, the team that wins receives the grand prize of five hundred dollars. We split the prize and everyone receives about a hundred bucks."

"Idiot, you should've told me that from the beginning!"

.

At the end of the day, Sasuke and his team barely managed to win the grand prize. Since it was an indoor tournament, there were less people to split the money with. Naruto, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru, and Sasuke took home a decent amount. Shikamaru insisted on not taking any of the prize money, since he only coached, but if it wasn't for him, they wouldn't have made it this far.

The bracket the boys were placed in was extremely difficult. With each stage they advanced, it was tougher than the last. With Shikamaru's various formations and strategies, it lessened the load significantly.

During one of the matches, Sasuke was nearly ejected from the game. His opponent, who was guarding him, kept provoking him by throwing elbows to his ribs and clipping the back of his heels. Frustrating as it was, the Uchiha held in his temper. At one point, he had enough. He stuck his face into the guy's face and let him have it. Luckily, the Referee only handed a yellow card to both infuriated players.

"I can't believe we won," Shino huffed in exhaustion.

"We played like trash, but at least we won first," Neji added.

Shikamaru shrugged and smiled. "You guys played really well. Everyone had their fair share of mistakes, but you also had some lucky moments." He handed out sports drinks to his friends. "Sasuke, we need to work on that temper of yours. One of these days, it's going to get you thrown out of a game. You got lucky this time with the Ref."

"Tch, it wasn't my fault. That guy was messing with me," the Uchiha responded as he sipped on his drink. "I swear, if I see him again, I'm going to stick him."

Naruto giggled and poked his friend in the rib. "Yeah Sasuke. You need to learn to take a chill pill Mr. Grumpy pants."

Shikamaru turned to Naruto. "And you need to learn how to pass the ball and rely on your teammates. You're not Lionel Messi. You nearly cost us every single game."

The guys' smirked and laughed. Just as the raven-haired kid boy took a sip from his drink, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of pink in the crowd. He turned his head to get a better look.

It was her.

This time, her hair was braided, making the pink and black blend together perfectly. She wore the same gray V-neck from the other day, soccer pants, and bright pink running shoes. As always her earphones were jammed into her ears. Did she ever take them off?

The girl was leaned over a metal railing as she diligently watched the game in front of her. Every time a team failed to score, she brought her head down in frustration. Whenever one of them scored, she clapped her hands and mouth a couple words.

It was entertaining for Sasuke. He would have never guessed that Sakura was interested in sports, nonetheless soccer. She didn't seem like the type. For another five or so minutes, he continued to observe her. She repeated the same patterns every minute. At times, she would look around into the crowd as if she were waiting for someone.

"..Suke..."

 _She doesn't seem like a bad person._

"Sas..."

 _Does she know someone on one of the teams?_

"Sasuke..."

 _I wonder if she has a boyfriend._

"Earth to Sasuke!" Naruto waved his hands in front of his best friend's face. "You all good? You don't have a concussion or anything, right?"

The Uchiha drank his sports drink. "No. I thought I saw someone I recognized." He turned back to see Sakura, but she was no longer there.


	4. Chapter 4

The dry erase marker squeaked every other letter Professor Iruka wrote. Sasuke looked back and noticed Sakura taking notes. Her eyes never met the board, which led him to believe that she was not paying attention.

 _I wonder..._ , Sasuke pondered. _What's she like?_

Professor Iruka capped his marker. "Alright class. Spring Break is in a few days. You know what that means? Mid-terms."

The class groaned.

"Fortunately, you all don't have one."

Muffled yes's and high fives were scattered across the class.

"But you do have a project over the break, which is about half your class grade."

Once again, the class groaned.

Iruka smirked. "I think you'll all enjoy this one." He passed out a piece of paper and instructed that girls write their name down on one side and the boys on the opposite. "Once everyone has finished signing the sheet, hand it back to me please."

Everyone did as they were told. After Sakura had signed the paper, she stood up from her seat and handed it to the teacher. Sasuke's eyes never left her until she briskly walked past him. _She's not bad up close. A little young if you ask me. She must have just graduated High School._

"I'm going to call out names. The person who I call you with will be your partner. Under no circumstances will there be no trading." Professor Iruka glanced over the sheet and began to read names. "Choji, you're paired with Karui."

Choji frowned. Karui set her head down in disappointment.

"Rock Lee, you're with Marta." Lee yelled, "Yes sir" as he saluted him. Marta's face turned into a crimson red.

"Neji is with TenTen." TenTen blushed and Neji crossed his arms.

"Kiba's partners with Tamaki. Gaara is with Matsuri. Sai is with Ino, Naruto with Hinata, Shikamaru with Temari, and Sasuke is paired up Sakura. Did I miss anyone?"

Shino raised his hand.

"Ah, seems you lucked out. As for you, you will type a three to four-page essay on why I am doing this project. Also, if you can, figure out why I have paired up the students with their respective partners." Shino gave him a perplexed but defeating look. "Listen up class. This is your assignment." Iruka took out a set of handcuffs. "This project is called 'Cuffed'. For the next week or so, you and your partner are going to be inseparable. Whether it is going to the beach or the grocery store, you and your partner will be side by side no matter what."

The class fell silent for a couple of moments. After it had registered in their heads, the class went into a sudden violent uproar. Temari was the first to blow a fuse. "This is ridiculous! How is this even possible? It's not going to work!"

"Don't worry, I'll be giving you the keys to the cuffs. I understand that you may have other things going on in your busy lives. You have permission to uncuff yourselves, but just so you know, these handcuffs have the ability to read your pulse. As long as you have them on, I know you're participating." Iruka rapidly went over with the class how to use the restraints.

"How will you know it's us though," a kid asked.

"I won't be able to tell, but I am going to be going by the honor system. But I will tell you this, if someone other than yourself happens to put the cuffs on, the meter will reset itself. When I receive these back from you all, I'll be able to tell. You don't have to worry about them when you shower or go swimming. These cuffs are waterproof and nearly indestructible. Oh and one last thing. When you uncuff yourself, the cord that binds you and your partner together will come loose. That is where the time is measured. If you lose that cord, you automatically fail." The class looked around nervously.

Naruto raised his hand confidently. "Professor Iruka, what if I have to take a massive poop? Will my partner have to be in the restroom with me?"

The class roared in laughter. Hinata's face instantly turned red with embarrassment. "If your partner is willing to stick it out, then yes. But if not, as I said before, I'm giving you a set of keys. Be careful not to lose them. I have the master key, but I'm going on vacation, so you'll be screwed." The Professor took out a big brown box from underneath his desk. "One person from each group get a set of handcuffs. Sit with your partner and get set up. If you don't know your partner, this is a perfect time to introduce yourselves."

Sasuke looked back at his partner. Sakura hadn't moved an inch since the beginning of class. He sighed and made his way to the front of the class to retrieve the cuffs. After what seemed like a three hour walk, he took a seat in front of the Pinkette. He cuffed his right wrist and Sakura cuffed her left wrist. Both college students sat in complete awkward silence.

Making it his duty to break the tension, the Uchiha finally opened his mouth. "Nice to meet you. My name's Sasuke. What's yours?" All this silence was eating him away.

"It's Sakura Haruno," she replied quietly.

"What school did you graduate from?"

Sakura doodled in her notebook. "Suna High, you?"

"Academy High." Again, the two sat in silence. _This is so awkward_ , Sasuke growled to himself. _How long is this going to last?_ Sasuke's eyes lingered down to her wrists. He hadn't noticed but she had several different bracelets on her left wrist. "I like your bracelets. Aren't they going to get in the way of the cuff?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nah. I've had a bunch more before and I never take them off. Some have fallen off due to daily wear and tear."

"Don't they bother you? You're wearing like ten bracelets on your wrist. Don't you ever take them off like when you shower or something?" Sasuke was intrigued with her love of bracelets.

"Not at all." The Pinkette pulled out her other wrist. "It bothered me at first, but after a while, you get used to it." The area above her hand was also covered in multicolored pieces of strings. They laid comfortably on her smooth skin.

"You must love them to death, huh?"

The girl faintly smiled, which caught the Uchiha's attention. "Yeah. I really do." As she was going to continue, the cuffs began to beep.

Professor Iruka cleared his throat. "If your handcuffs beeped, they sync is complete. You can disconnect the cord and call it a day. This project won't start until next Monday, but I want you to get comfortable with the cuff around your wrist." Students began to stand and dismiss themselves from the classroom.

Sakura disconnected herself and slid the keys to Sasuke. "I'll see you around Sasuke." Before he had the chance to respond, Sakura jammed her earphones into the side of her head. She stood and left without saying a word.

 _Damn those headphones. I want to rip them out of her ears_ , Sasuke snarled and he glared at the Pinkette.

.

 **A/N:**

 **Just to clear some confusion, the handcuffs are similar to the Apple watches or Fitbits that read your pulse and stuff but in handcuff like form. The cuffs themselves don't pose a real significant role in the story. Try not to think too much of them xD**


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe I'm stuck with Hinata," the blonde whined. "I've got nothing against her, but she's just so quiet!"

Shikamaru yawned and set his head down on the table. "How lame. I'm stuck with loud mouth Temari. Out of all people, she's the one that gives me the most attitude."

While the boys complained about the assignment, the teacher strolled in with a grin on his face. "Alright class. As you know, the project begins this weekend. Well, to your luck, it will begin Monday, the start of Spring Break and will end the following Monday right when class begins. You're required to have a minimum of thirty-six hours clocked in your cuffs, however; anytime that exceeds forty hours, an extra five points will be given for each additional hour. If you'd like, I'll give you this weekend to get a head start."

Professor Iruka let his class go much earlier than what his students expected. Sasuke excused himself from his group of friends and caught up with Sakura, who had already walked out of the door. He gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

The Pinkette shook her head and removed an earbud. "Not really."

"I was wondering if you wanted to get an early start on this stupid project. Maybe we can start tonight?"

"I can't tonight, but can I ask you something?" Sasuke gave her a quick nod. "Are you working next Friday to Monday?"

"I think just Sunday and Monday. Why?"

"You better ask off those days." Sakura's tone sounded like it was a warning of some sort.

"What's happening on those days? Don't we have class on Monday?"

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, but I already talked to the Professor so you shouldn't have to worry about it."

"What is going to happen on those days?"

Sasuke's partner sighed. "Look, I have to study for my next class." She pulled out a pen from her backpack. She took Sasuke's hand and scribbled ten numbers on his pale hand. "Here's my number. Text me and I'll give you the details." Sakura jammed her earphones back in her head and strolled off.

Sasuke stared at his hand. _I thought this girl was interesting, but she's starting to piss me off._

.

 _Sakura?_

 _Who's this?_

 _Your partner._

 _Right... I didn't expect you to text me so fast._

Sasuke scrunched his lips and started at his phone screen. _Well, I need to know what's up on those days you mentioned a while ago. What's going on?_

It took a while for Sakura to respond. As eager as he was, Sasuke was beginning to lose his temper. He sent her a " _?_ " text. He didn't want to seem pushy, but he needed answers. His phone rang after twenty minutes of painful waiting.

 _Let's meet up tomorrow. How does noon work? Is it too early for you?_

 _Yeah. That sounds like a good time. Are we meeting up at my place or yours?_

 _Mine. Here's my address:_

Sasuke was extremely irritated. She hadn't told him about her plans and it was driving him insane. He told himself to chill out. Could she be going on vacation? What was the worst that could happen? Traveling out of the country? What could be the best? Sakura could cancel her plans last minute. Whatever it was, Sasuke prayed that it wasn't anything extreme.

"You alright Sasuke?" Naruto joined his friend. "You just left out of nowhere."

Sasuke sighed. He contemplated about telling his best friend about Sakura. In reality, he wanted as less drama as possible so he decided to seal his lips. "Everything is okay," he lied. "I just grabbed her number to figure out stuff on the project. How are things with Hinata so far?"

"It's alright. It's like I said before, she's extremely quiet and she blushes all the time. I don't understand her..." As Naruto ranted on about his partner, the Uchiha's mind was still wrapped around the Pinkette. He was a bit upset with her, but he was trying to figure her out.

It was obvious that Sakura wasn't like those girls that pestered before, during, and after class. In reality, she wasn't like any girl he had met. Sasuke had time. He had a little over a week to find out everything there is to know about Sakura Haruno.

"Oi Sasuke!" Sasuke glanced at his friend. "You down for a game of indoor tonight?"

Sasuke grinned. "Same place as usual?" Naruto nodded in confirmation.

.

Naruto and his squad messed around with each other after their pick-up games. When they had first arrived it was nine o'clock in the evening. They were consumed with the passion of the game. As a game turned into two, minutes turned into hours, the time now read two o' clock in the morning. Sasuke and his friends lost track of time with all the fun they were having.

"Hey! Let's all go to Whatsburger," Kiba exclaimed in ecstasy. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" All the boys agreed, got into their vehicles, and sped off to the fast food joint.

"Naruto," Nara began as he stuffed a crispy, salty fry into his mouth. "You need to learn how to pass the freaking ball."

"I'm the forward of the team, right? I have to score, that's my job."

"You hog the ball too much though. Learn to pass the ball idiot. Relying on your teammates will go a long way."

The doors to the burger joint swung open and a group of girls and boys entered. A couple of girls wore denim booty shorts with black and white crop tops that showed off their pierced navels. The boys were in tank tops and shorts. Their roars of laughter disturbed the peace that once existed in the restaurant.

"Damn those people," Neji scoffed. "I hate loud people. They have no consideration for the people around them."

"Tch, you got that tight," Sasuke agreed. He took a sip of his soda and whipped his head around to get a closer look. The group, which was exactly four people, were covered in sweat. They smiled at each other, got their meals, and took a seat two tables behind the group of boys. Their laughter and constant snickering began to annoy the group of boys.

The door swung open again and a familiar girl walked in. Her hair was braided beautifully to the side and laid gently off her shoulder. She was dressed much more conservative than the other ladies. She wore a black t-shirt and her jeans were rolled up past her ankles, which exposed her high top skate shoes. The girl ordered her meal and took her seat with the obnoxious group. She left her pink and black hair loose from the braid and pulled it up into a high bun. The girl smiled brightly and began to chat with her friends.

 _It can't be..._ "Sorry, gotta pee." Sasuke excused himself and paced off to the bathroom. He slowed down when he casually strolled next to the noisy table.

The girl's jaded eyes locked on with the Uchiha's onyx eyes. Her smile faded, making her pearly teeth disappear, but her lips were still curled slightly upwards. When he walked past the table he heard, "Do you know him?"

With a lack of interest, the girl replied, "Eh, not really. He's in one of my classes."

"He's not bad at all. You could totally get with him," one of her friend's whispered flirtatiously.

"Not my type," the pink haired girl spat quietly. "He attracts the..." Sasuke couldn't hear the rest of his partner's conversation due to the fact he was too far from the table.

 _Damn_ , Sasuke thought. _She's mean._

 _._

 ** _A/N:_**

 ** _How's the story so far? I know some of you all want longer chapters, but trust me, as the story moves along, the chapters will be longer. Please be patient with me :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke was on his way to his partner's home. It wasn't too far of a drive, perhaps twenty minutes from his place, but since traffic was horrible, it took longer than anticipated. He shot her a quick text saying he was going to be late.

He couldn't help but to wonder what her family was like. He prayed that they weren't the overprotective, strict, and over religiously type. He had learned from experience. It was something he did not want to go through again. Just thinking about that person sends a cold chill down his spine.

Arriving to her home, Sasuke knocked on Sakura's front door. Seconds later, a semi short woman with blonde hair and green eyes answered. "Oh hello! You must be Sakura's partner." She wiped her hands on her apron. "Please come in. I do apologize for the mess." She stuck her hand out and Sasuke shook it firmly.

"Thank you Mrs. Haruno. I don't mind at all. Is Sakura around?"

"Of course, let me get her." Mebuki ran upstairs and returned shortly. "I hate it when she stays up so late," she muttered as she led the young man into the kitchen. Whatever she was thinking, it bothered her. "It's just so dangerous for her to be out, even with friends." She motioned Sasuke to sit. "Please. Take a seat...?"

"It's Sasuke Uchiha." He sat down. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you like her staying out so late? Where was she?"

"She was at-"

Suddenly a short girl, in a pink and black messy bun, interrupted her Mother. "I'm hungry." She walked over to the fridge, swung it open, and stared into it.

Sasuke sat dumfounded. Was it possible that she hadn't noticed him? He took a good look at her. She was wearing a plain purple t-shirt and a pair of black sporty shorts. Sakura had surprisingly nice, slender legs. His eyes slowly made his way down further, noticing several bracelets around each of her ankles. He was certain of one thing: she did love those bracelets.

Mebuki growled at her, but kept a smile on her face. "Sakura, don't be rude. You have a guest."

Sakura, who was half asleep, turned her head to meet her partner's gaze. "Sup dude." She turned back and stared aimlessly in the fridge.

"Sup?" He answered in confusion.

"Sakura!" Her Mother raised her voice.

"Sorry, sorry." She rubbed her eyes and focused on Sasuke. "You hungry? Thirsty? We have water and food."

The Uchiha responded in a stern but polite manner. "I'm alright but thank you."

Sakura stared into the fridge and pulled out what seemed like leftovers. "Good answer. There isn't enough spaghetti to go around." Her Mom slapped her on the arm and shot her a menacing look. "I was kidding! Jeez Mom, we have plenty pasta for everyone." Sakura rubbed her arm in agony.

 _Is this the same girl that shuts everyone out? Is this the Sakura that wears her earphones 24/7?_ At this point, Sasuke was truly shocked as well intrigued. It was hard to believe that the girl that stood before him was the shy, reserved girl that he knew from class. Her personality rotated an entire one hundred and eighty degrees.

"Ready to start this stupid project?"

"Guess so," Sasuke replied. He was skeptical at first, but seeing how she really was, his thoughts on the project immediately changed. Sakura sat next to Sasuke with her steaming bowl of spaghetti. He brought out the cuffs and each one of them snapped it on their respective wrists. They locked the cord in and the timer began to count away.

The Pinkette's Mother looked at their wrists with curiosity. "What's that for? Was this the project you were talking about?"

"Yeah, it's so stupid if you ask me. Shoot, I forgot a fork." The Pinkette stood to retrieve the utensil. Before she took more than four steps, her body jerked backwards and Sasuke's arm jerked forward. "Crap!" She toppled over her chair and fell to the floor.

"You alright Sakura?!" Sasuke helped her partner to her feet but also attempted to contain his laughter. He had to admit that she was clumsy.

"Yeah. I forgot I was handcuffed for a second. Hey Mom, can you please hand me a fork?"

Her Mother smirked. She had other plans for her beloved daughter. "No. You get it."

"Mom."

"No."

"Come on."

"I said no."

"Please?"

"No!"

Sakura sighed and stared into her now half cold pasta. "Fine. Suit yourself." She stuck her fingers in the bowl and brought the marinated noodles to her mouth.

"SAKURA HARUNO! YOU SHOULD BE EMBARRASED! YOU HAVE A GENTLEMAN SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU! DOES THAT NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?!" Her Mother shoved the utensil in her bowl.

Sakura looked over at Sasuke. His face was more astounded than grossed out. "Nah, I don't really care." She went back eating her pasta with her fingers but later switched over to the piece of metal.

Mebuki was genuinely mortified. Her daughter had behaved like this her entire life. There was nothing she could do to fix her manners. Even if a handsome boy came along, her lack of etiquette always shooed them away. "I do apologize again Sasuke. Her manners need lots of work."

"It's alright Mrs. Haruno. I'm sure I'll get used to it in a couple days." The raven-haired boy assured her. Judging her at this moment, she was messy, playful, and very much carefree. In the back of his mind, Sakura reminded her of a small child. She had no worries whatsoever. "Hey Sakura, do you have plans today?"

"Kinda. You?"

"Not really. What do you have going on?"

The Pinkette stared at Mebuki. "I can't believe you're going again tonight. You're wasting your time on nonsense," her Mom spat.

"I've got nothing else to do."

"You can study instead of party. Your grades are slipping Sakura. You need to pick them up. There's no way you're going to make in the real world like this."

Sasuke's ears perked up at the word party. He would have never guessed in life that Sakura attended parties. If anything, she was the last person on the Earth, behind Hinata, that would ever party. It made sense why she was out late last night with friends, but the thing was, why was she covered in sweat? Perhaps it was one of those crazy Project-X like parties, which blew his mind even more.

"By the way, since you have this project going on, did you tell Sasuke where you're going this next weekend?"

The Uchiha completely forgot about that issue. Thanks to her Mom, he could finally get to the bottom of this. "Where are you going?"

Sakura ignored him and finished her food. "I'll explain it in the car. I have a few errands to run."

Mebuki shook her head in disappointment. "Are you going to get dressed? At least try to look decent."

"I'm okay the way I'm dressed."

Her Mother shook her head again. "You'll never get a boyfriend."

Sakura smiled and gave her Mom a thumbs up. "That's the plan." As she walked away, Sasuke had no choice but to follow.

"It was nice meeting you Mrs. Haruno!"

"Likewise Sasuke!" The two college kids walked out the front door. Mebuki smiled gingerly and continued her duties. "Please take care of her."

.

The door shut behind Sasuke and Sakura. The girl let out a sigh. "Alright. I've got to pick up something from a friend's house and the-"

"What's going on Friday through Monday? From the looks of it, it sounds extremely important." Sasuke was tired of being ignored. All he wanted was a simple answer. "So please tell me what's up."

"I'm going to pick up some tickets at a friend's house. She cancelled on me last minute."

"Tickets for what?"

"A thing."

Sasuke snarled viciously, "Quit playing and tell me!"

Sakura gave her partner a tiny grin. In a way, this gesture frightened the Uchiha. "We're going to Kirigakure."


	7. Chapter 7

"Argue with me all you want, but nothing you say will sway me to change my mind." Sakura turned the steering wheel to her car. The moment she opened her mouth about the trip, she instantly regretted it. It wasn't like she had a choice. He was going to find out either way. The earlier the better.

"What about this project? We need at least thirty-six hours clocked in together. What are we going to do if you leave to Kirigakure?"

Sakura gave him a confident smile. "Look, whether we reach thirty-six hours or not, I'm still going. Besides, that's why we are starting early, right?"

Sasuke couldn't believe the words he was hearing from her mouth. To actually think she would go this far, it was as if he was dreaming. "So you're willing to sacrifice your grade just for a trip?"

"Yep," the girl replied as she popped the 'p' at the end.

Trying to keep his cool, Sasuke took a deep, silent breath. "You know, that wouldn't be fair on my part. Shouldn't you have consideration for your partner?"

The Pinkette focused her jaded orbs on the road ahead of her. It looked as if she was digging through her thoughts because Sasuke called out to her but her attention span was not all there. Some time had passed and Sakura simply replied. "Nope. If my partner fails because of me, I could care less. I've been planning this trip for over six months. I'm not backing out now. Sorry, but you can hate all you want because I'm not batting an eye." She pulled into a driveway and parked the car. "You coming?"

Sasuke crossed his arms and sat quietly. The last thing he wanted to talk to her. She was actually highly immature. If he was the one leaving out of town, he would have much more respect for his partner. For Pete's sake, this was a team effort. He was going to fail the project on the first day. Pathetic as it was, he was going to fail without a doubt.

"Suit yourself." The girl shut the door and disappeared towards the house. What was in Kiri that was extremely important to her? Surely it doesn't take six months to plan a trip. Sasuke grabbed his phone and messaged his best friend a quick text. He waited for a rely but never received one.

About ten minutes later, Sakura came back with two small colorful packages in her hands. It was as if a rainbow had taken a dump on the boxes. She threw them in the back seat, slipped into the driver's side of the vehicle, and drove back home.

Before the angry Uchiha could say anything, the Pinkette's phone rang. "Hey! Yeah? What's up?" She paused. "I'm so down! Tonight? I'll be somewhere until two in the morning, but after that, I'll definitely be there. Text me the details? Sweet Dude! See you then!" She hung up her phone with an enormous smile on her face.

Sasuke glared at Sakura blankly. He just had to ask. It was eating him alive. "Hey Sakura, What's going on in Kiri? What's up with tonight?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip. "Have you ever heard of the Mega Music Festival?"

"Isn't' that the huge rave festival during Spring Break? The one where everyone around the world parties at?" The raven haired boy glanced at his partner. He noticed that she had a sly look plastered on her clean face. "No... IS THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING?!"

"You got that right! And as far as tonight, I'm going to a rave with a couple of my friends. I can't miss this show!"

"But Mega Music Festival is one of the ultimate party festivals! And isn't that where you were last night?! You're going again!? Isn't going once enough?"

"What are you trying to say?" Sakura creased her eyebrows.

"I assume you love to party?"

Sakura stuck her pointer finger in the air. "No, I don't party. I rave. There's a difference."

"Partying and raves aren't any different from each other. They are just places where people do drugs and drink themselves to death. All the girls that go to raves either dress slutty or are sluts themselves. I don't have very much respect for them. They are disgusting party animals." Sasuke fumed, not realizing what he had said. Sakura scrunched her face up in uneasiness and focused on the road ahead of her.

For the rest of the car ride, Sakura had yet to say a word. He was sure that he stepped over a line when he blew off steam. It was honestly hard to tell because she was like a rubix cube, nearly impossible to solve. It didn't look like he struck a nerve because Sakura looked completely fine, but he had learned that girls act this way but meant the opposite.

Once they arrived drove to her house, she left her car and retrieved the two boxes. "Hey Sasuke."

"What's up?" What was she going to say now?

"I want you to come with me to Kiri. If you don't want to, I understand. It's not like you want to hang out with a slut, right?" Sakura looked down at her feet feeling a bit hurt. "If you decide to tag along, I don't want to be with someone who's going to judge me the entire time I'm trying to enjoy myself. Just let me know straight up, please."

"Sakura, I didn't mean to-"

She held out her hand in front of her body, like if she were signaling to stop. "It's cool. I get responses like that all the time. It sucks that people judge you before they really get to know who you are. I don't take it personally though."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He instantly felt bad for saying such negative things towards her. If he could take it back, he would do it in a heartbeat. "I... uh..."

"So what's it going to be Uchiha? I know it's extremely last minute, but since we have to do this lame project, I thought I'd ask first before I find someone else. It honestly would be a great way to get hours in. If you say no, there's no hard feelings."

"Even if I say yes, where am I going to find the money to buy a ticket for the festival and all other expenses like flight, food, and hotel? I'm not made of money!"

Sakura sat down on the steps of her porch. "Yeah, I figured that much. Look, don't worry about the ticket." She tossed Sasuke a box, which he caught. "Luck is on your side today partner. My friend sold it to me for a decent price. I'll give it to you for the price of free. Just worry about the flight and we'll split the hotel and whatever else we need. If I find someone else to tag along, we can split the cost three ways."

"Who's going to be tagging along?"

Sakura replied as she scratched her head. "Well, there's Darui, Konan, Haku, Deidara, Kankuro..." As Sakura continued her list, the raven haired college guy noticed that ninety-eight percent of the names were male. Deep inside, Sasuke was a tad bothered. He didn't care one bit about her, but for some strange reason, he was feeling that having one more person, especially a guy, would only get in their way of the project. "That won't be necessary," he blurted out. "It'll just be us going."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Okay... What about this extra ticket? We can't let it go to waste."

"Sell it. Whatever you get from it, let's use it to split the cost of whatever we need."

The Pinkette eyes him suspiciously. "Why the sudden change of heart. If it's because you feel bad about what you said earlier, I really don't care."

Sasuke straightened his posture and looked away. "That's not it. You said it would be the perfect time to rack up time for the assignment, right? If that's the case, then I'm in. Besides, if someone were to tag along, it would be awkward and they'd just be in the way. Plus, I've kinda always wondered what a rave was like." The last sentence was a completely lie. It was more of the fact that if a guy were to tag along, it would annoy the crap out him. Chances were that he would be third wheeling during the trip.

Sakura curled her lips into a radiant smile. At that moment, Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. "Thanks Uchiha. I seriously owe you one."

"You really do. Just so you know, I'm going to be broke because of you."

"I'm floating in the same boat," she said. Sakura stood and motioned her partner to enter her home. "Alright dude, let me help you get prepared. We don't have much time."

"Yeah sure, but first, I have to explain to my parents how I decided to take a spontaneous trip, with a classmate I hardly know, to a place where it's going to become a three-day party fest. Hopefully I can persuade them."

"I'll help you persuade them."

Sasuke's face contorted with confusion. "Well..."

"Look, I know it's weird and all, but if you had someone that was knowledgeable in this sort of nature, then the chances of you parents saying yes will double." Sakura stuck up two of fingers in the air. "Relax and let me do the talking."

She had a point. Sasuke's parents were slightly strict, but since he was leaving far away, they were going to be uneasy, especially his Father. No matter how hard he persuaded him, it was always no. "I guess that would work. I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Cool! Let me know when and I'll be right over!"

Sasuke's eyes perked up. "Let's go now." He grabbed the Pinkette by the wrist and pulled her towards his vehicle. _What have I agreed to_ , he thought.


	8. Chapter 8

The plan was simple. All she need to do was sway Sasuke's Father to their side. After Sakura explained the plan to her partner, he come to realize that she had the perfect amount of charm to her personality. It wasn't going to be an easy fight, but it was possible for Sakura.

When they arrived, Sasuke's Mother instantly greeted the girl with open arms. It was extremely rare for her youngest son to bring anyone over to the house, especially a beautiful girl. Could it be love? It had to be. While Mikoto fawned over Sakura, Fugaku motioned his son over and spoke to him quietly. He eyed the girl carefully from head to toe. Although he never spoke about the young lady, his mind was frantically all over the place. Was his youngest son in love?

"Please Sakura, make yourself at home." Mikoto poured her a glass of water for her guest and then continued to gaze at her with sparkling eyes.

The Pinkette took her seat. "Thank you Mrs. Uchiha. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you and Mr. Uchiha about an important matter." Mikoto and Fugaku gave each other a troubled look, sat across from the girl, and listened to what she had to say.

 _We better not be Grandparents..._

.

Mikoto frowned. "Oh Sakura, this is indeed very last minute. Why hadn't you said anything sooner?"

"I didn't know this project was going to happen." She brought up the arm that was chained to Sasuke. "That aside, is it alright for your son to come with me? I understand if you say no, but it would mean so much if he could. This would be beneficial for the project."

"I'm fine with it, but it's not me you should be asking." Everyone's eyes fluttered on the main Uchiha. The room grew eerily silent to the point where you could hear drops of water fall from the faucet echo into everyone's ears. Fugaku crossed his arms and kept his mouth shut.

"Dad?" Sasuke questioned.

"I forbid you going." Fugaku stated as he never broke his gaze from the young woman.

Sasuke threw his hands up, which made Sakura's arm jolt upwards. "Dad! Come on! I'll pay for everything myself. We are doing this for the project!"

"You can work on the project from here. A music festival like that is highly dangerous. I don't want my son being influenced by such a," he glared at the Pinkette. "Demented crowd. I've seen what those places can do to people. They are a bunch of low lifers, who drug themselves up, and make society what it is today."

"Fugaku! How rude of you!" Mrs. Uchiha nervously laughed. "I do apologize Sak-"

"It's alright Mrs. Uchiha. I get reactions like that all the time." She turned to the head of the household. "I know who you really are Mr. Uchiha. As the Chief of Police, I understand how you feel. Please Officer, is there anything I can do to prove that I'm a trustworthy person?"

Fugaku stood his ground silently.

Sakura sighed and reached for her back pocket. "Here Sir." The Pinkette slid her driver's license across to him. "Take a picture if you'd like. Also, if you need my phone number, as well as my parent's, I'll be more than happy to provide it. If you need to know where I work and what I drive, I'll write it down for you. If you want to give me a background check, I'll agree to it."

Sasuke squeezed Sakura's arm and whispered gently. "There's no need to do that. You tried your best."

Ignoring what Sasuke said, she continued. "If you want to drug test me as well, I consent to it as well. If there anything else you need, please let me know. Shoot, I'll even give you my Social Security number if you want it."

The Chief was internally astounded with the young woman who sat right in front of him. Her eyes gleamed with determination. Out of the hundreds of people he's encountered, she had to be the strangest of them all. She was different and he could tell that she was being truthful. If Sasuke brought her over, it must have been a good reason. "That's alright. I'll just need your phone number and the hotel you're staying at. I hope you understand." He finally gave in.

Sasuke and Sakura, as well as Mikoto, gave each other a high five. It surprised Saskue how his partner could charm his strict, boring Father. No one had ever persuaded him, except his wife, but this was a day to be celebrated. From what Sasuke knew, or so he thought, Sakura was a timid girl. As time was progressing between the two, Sasuke was finding himself drawn to her.

.

The raven haired smashed the buttons of his game controller. The Pinkette was entertaining herself on her phone. Two hours had passed since the meeting with his parents and everything was now set in stone. All they had to do was wait for Friday. They had a bit of time to go over plans, but the days were going to speed through.

Sasuke gripped his controller and let out a puff of frustration. "Ha. You were the game winning kill again," Sakura teased as she scrolled through her phone. "Dude you suck."

"Hn. Like you can do better." Sasuke snapped.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You wanna bet? If I win you have to buy me dinner. You'll take me wherever I want. If you win, I'll buy you dinner. Deal?"

It wasn't every day Sasuke was offered a challenge. This was a bet the Uchiha could never pass on. Out of all his friends, he was the best at videogames. Besides, this was Sakura. It was a guaranteed win. He smirked at her and tossed her the controller. "Alright Pinky. You got yourself a deal. Just so you know, I'm not cheap guy."

Sakura smiled and began the match. "I'm not a cheap girl, Uchiha."

.

 _She's not normal. What is with this girl?_ Sasuke pondered skeptically as he watched Sakura destroy her burger. Not only did she beat Sasuke, she MURDERED the opposing team. "You know; the deal was that I take you anywhere you wanted. You could have taken advantage of this and gone to a five-star restaurant. Why are we at Whatsburger?"

The Pinkette washed her food down with her soda. "It's delicious that's why. You have a problem with that?"

"No, but..." Saskue took a good look at her. Her pink and black hair was up in a messy bun, spots of ketchup smeared across the side of her right cheek, and her jaded eyes glowed with beauty. The more he stared, the more captivated he was. "I would have expected you to choose a fancy steakhouse or a high end seafood place. I don't understand you one bit."

"Look here Uchiha. Since you're my partner, I guess I'll have to tell you a few things about myself. First, it doesn't take a whole lot to please me. If you would have bought me a bag of chips, I would've been happy." Sakura made the peace sign with her greasy fingers. "Two, I don't like fancy. If we would have gone to a nice place I would have had to dress up and look pretty for once. I don't like that. Sure, it's fine to go out nice once in a while, but do you know how much of a hassle it is to get ready?"

"No." Sasuke wished she had chosen a fancy restaurant. He was curious to see her in a dress.

"Exactly. I would have to use more than my basic manners. I mean, look at me right now!"

"Yeah, I can see that." Sasuke handed her a napkin. "You're gross, you know that? Don't you care how others will think of you."

"Not one bit. As long as I'm confident about myself, I don't need anyone else's approval." She grabbed the napkin and wiped her face clean, or at least tried. "Plus you need to save money for when we go to Kiri. We both don't have the funds to spend on nonsense like fancy foods."

"Fair enough. Still, don't feel like that you have to be cheap around me. A deal is a deal. I'm capable of spending a good amount of money."

The Pinkette scoffed. "You know, you sounded ridiculous just right now." She chomped oh her fries. "You don't need to show off around me. I'm not one of those of materialistic girls who want every single little thing just to be happy."

"I can also see that." Sasuke handed her another napkin, which she took from him. "You still have ketchup on your face.

Sakura continued to devour her meal. "I know, but thanks." She proceeded to finish her food along with staining her shirt.


	9. Chapter 9

"How's it going with your project, Dobe?"

Naruto let out a heavy sigh. "It's not as bad as I thought, but it does get awkward at times. Hinata is such a quiet girl."

Sasuke smiled. "At least you know her dude."

"Which reminds me. You got the quietest and most mysterious girl of the class Sasuke. How's that going?"

Images of the Pinkette popped into the Uchiha's head. One thing was for sure, Sakura was the complete opposite of what he perceived her to be. She wasn't quiet but not loud. She also wasn't reserved but did mind her own business. Sasuke had never met much a girl and it was bothering him. "It's not bad. We have our moments here and there. She doesn't like to talk much though." The raven haired guy was tempted to tell his friend everything he knew about his partner, but decided to hold back. It was best if it stayed a secret, for now.

The girls he mostly attracted were the high maintenance, needy, and pre-Madonna's that required huge amounts of attention. At first, he liked the attention, but over time, it began to take a toll. It infuriated the living poop out of him and he did what he could to get away from the girls.

"I would believe it. Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you invite her to our next indoor game?" Naruto tossed his pal a soccer ball that was laying around his room. He was extremely eager and wanted to know who this "Sakura" was.

"I don't know. She doesn't do too well around a crowd." Sasuke didn't know if this was true or not, but by judging how she acted in the class, she wasn't one to say much.

"C'mon. Hinata, Ino, Kiba's girl, Neji's girl, and the others will be there too. She's not going to all alone. I'll make sure she's fine."

The Uchiha scrunched his lips together. He remembered seeing Sakura at the tournament weeks ago so she must have some sort of interest in the sport, but was this a good idea? She hardly ever talked to anyone in the class. There was only one way to find out. "Fine. I'll invite her, but I'm not sure she'll come through."

Naruto slapped his buddy on the back. "Aye! That's the spirit! I'll tell the guys and let them know what's up!"

Somehow, in the back of Sasuke's head, this night was going to end in a disaster.

.

Just minutes before the game started, Sasuke glanced around the stands. _She's not here yet?_ He wasn't sure why he was so worried about her. It's not like he cared if she showed up or not, but it would've been cool if Sakura had watched him play.

"Oi Teme, who you looking for? Your girlfriend? Suck you can't show off in front of her." Naruto teased.

"Shut up idiot!" Sasuke punched Naruto in the arm. "She's not my girl. I don't like her like that."

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say."

The Referee blew the whistle. The game commenced. Sasuke and his team dominated the first half, although the score was five to four in their favor. When he had the chance, the Uchiha looked into the crowd, but never saw who he was looking for. In his mind, he told himself that she wasn't coming and that he should stop worrying.

On the start of the second half, Shino was immediately injured during a play. Without having subs, the team played short a man as Shikamaru was not allowed to play because of certain rule changes. Coaches could no longer participate with their players. Many argued with this rule but the league wouldn't budge.

Not long after, Sasuke mistimed his tackle. He struck his opponent in his shin and knew what was coming. The Ref ran up to him and flashed him a bright red card. _Damn._ Sasuke knelt beside the fallen player and gave him a sincere apology. On a call like this, Sasuke would have fought back with the Ref, but he knew he messed up. He wasn't focused at all and he paid the price.

"You guys, we can't play with three guys on the field," Kiba said as he neared the stands. "We're going to get destroyed!"

"We can sub for Shino, but not Sasuke." Shikamaru looked around. "Maybe if the Ref would let us, we can sneak someone from the crowd. He's pretty lenient on that." Shikamaru raised his voice. "Anyone here ready to play for us?"

The small crowd awkwardly glanced away in different directions to avoid his gaze. Suddenly a tiny but firm voice shouted, "I can!"

Sasuke recognized the voice instantly. A girl made her way through to the front with the group of boys. She smirked and her jaded eyes were determined as ever.

"Uh, can a girl play with us?" Naruto asked awkwardly.

"I don't see why not." Naruto's coach turned to the girl. "You sure you want to play? You know, we can play rough."

The girl bent down to tie her indoor shoes. "Don't scare me off. You're short two men and frankly, you don't have anyone else. I've played with guys before so I'll be fine." She pulled her pink and black hair into a high ponytail. She stepped onto the turf.

The other team's ego suddenly rose to the roof. They all laughed amongst themselves and joked around. One of the players said, "They'd stoop so low that they'd ask a girl to play. They sure are desperate."

Another player called out," Sure. Let the girl play. It won't matter anyways."

The Captian hushed his team. "Alright you guys, calm down. No need to be rude. Let's just continue with the game. Please be respectful to the Miss." He nodded at the Ref and the game resumed.

From the sidelines, Naruto and Shikamaru glared and Sasuke. "Dude can she even play?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we're about to find out."

.

Saukra's touch and movement off the ball were incredible. The boys were surprised that she possessed such skill. There were plenty of girls who claimed they were good at soccer, but ended up being playing worse than trash. But Sakura knew the game and her skills backed it up.

"Wow Sasuke. Your girl knows how to play." Shikamaru whistled. His eyes never left the Pinkette.

Sasuke slightly blushed. "She's not my girl! She's my partner. I had no idea she was this skilled."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, she really saved our butts. Without her, we would have been massacred."

The Uchiha examined the Pinkette as she played. Even though her skill level wasn't up to par with that of the boys, she was playing exceptionally well. Her passing was above average and her field of vision was amazing as well. Indoor was more skill based than that of regular soccer, but Sakura somehow managed to assist the team with ease.

She was graceful when she touched the ball. Her lean, small body stood out on the plastic, green field. Sakura's voice, when she called out to her teammates, was sweet like honey but firm like a rock. Again, Sasuke was captivated.

What happened next was a blur. Neji chipped the ball to Sakura. Wanting to head the ball to Naruto, she leapt up into the air, focusing only on the ball. A kid, about three times her size from the other team, ran up and jumped as well, but in the process, intentionally trucked into the Pinkette.

When their bodies collided, Sakura violently crashed into the floor like a rag doll. Her left shoulder made contact with the ground, along with the rest of her body. Her opponent slightly bent over next to her. "Hmph. You wanted to play with boys, right? Well, you'll get the same treatment," the player spat at Sakura, followed by some curse words.

Without thinking, Sasuke ran onto the field. He tapped the dude, that hit Sakura, on the shoulder to get his attention. The guy turned around and the Uchiha nailed him square in the mouth.


	10. Chapter 10

A full fight broke out between the two. They punched, shoved, and cursed at each other. Not long after, everyone from each team joined to separate the two. The Referee blew his whistle and tried to break up the crowd but no one budged. Hinata and the other girls rushed over to Sakura, whose body was laying still.

"That was cheap," Sasuke growled. His nose was bleeding and his hair was tangled. "You had no right to do that! She's only a girl!"

"Whatever. She had it coming when she stepped up on the field. It was an accident, I swear," the guy announced sarcastically. His lips were pouring blood where Sasuke had hooked him. "How cute. You're trying to stand up for your girlfriend."

"EVERYONE BACK TO YOUR END OF THE FIELD!" The Ref demanded. The players went to their sides and the Ref began to issue yellow and red cards to those involved in the brawl. Sasuke and the cheater both were banned for several games due to unsportsman-like conduct.

Right away, Sasuke began to run over to his partner. He couldn't stop think about her. He noticed that she was still on the floor, but an older man was knelt beside her, along with Hinata, Ino, and several others. "Hey, I need you to relax," the man cooed softly her.

"Ugnh... What's... Going on?" Sakura slurred. She tried to sit up but groaned in agony. "My shoulder..." She opened her eyes and met Sasuke's gaze. "Uchiha? What's-"

"You took a hard hit." The Uchiha's chest was thumping rapidly. He was scared that something major had happened to her. The last thing she needed was a broken bone or worse, a concussion. "Just relax Sakura, you're going to be fine."

The man pulled out a tiny pencil like flashlight. He flashed it into her eyes. "Well, it looks like your eyes are fine. What's your name girly?"

"Sakura Haruno," she replied.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Where are you at right now?"

"Playing soccer here."

"What school do you attend?"

"Konohagakure University."

"What did you have for lunch?"

Sakura brought up her fingers to her lips. "Well, let's see. I had tacos with white rice, beans, chips and salsa, and a coke. Oh, I also had ice cream with a brownie on the side."

The man laughed and put away his flashlight. "Your head seems fine. If you begin to experience dizziness, headaches, or nausea, then please don't hesitate to seek medical attention right away. Can you move your arm?" Sakura extended her arm to the side, but it was slow. Every inch she moved, her face contorted in pain. "Now wiggle your fingers for me and move your elbow."

She did as she was told. Again, when she moved her elbow, her face twisted with agony. "It hurts a lot Doc."

"Looks like you just bruised it. You're going to be fine. When you wake up tomorrow, you're going to feel amazing," he joked. He turned to Sasuke. "It's best if she doesn't drive. Do you have someone who can take her home?"

"Of course." Sasuke helped the Pinkette to her feet. The crowd clapped and cheered for Sakura. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Saukra muttered.

"I'll drive you home."

"It's okay. I'll call someone to pick me up."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. I'll do it. Plus, I'll have to explain to your parents what happened to you."

Sakura wasn't up for a fight. Her body was in pain and she was hungry. She was use to this type of play. Typically, guys weren't so rough with her, but this was the first time she had been bodied this bad. "Fine."

Once they walked to the bleachers, Sakura took a seat and Sasuke paced over to his friend's and collected their bags. "Yo Sasuke, unfortunately, the game was called off after this mess," a voice called out to him.

"Sorry about that Shikamaru. I didn't know what overcame me." Sasuke said apologetically. "It just happened so fast."

"Don't worry about it. I would've done the same." The Nara yawned. "Damn Sasuke. We need to work on that temper of yours. You can't just go around socking people in the face. But I won't lie, it was a really good hit dude."

Naruto smiled and gave best friend a thumbs up. "Oi Sasuke! Nice job! You should join boxing!"

"Idiot, but thanks Dobe. I owe it all to you. If it weren't for your stupidity, I wouldn't have known what to do."

Naruto smirked. "You should really keep an eye on her dude. She's a total magnet." He pointed past his friend's shoulder. Sasuke whipped his head around to see what nonsense Naruto was up to.

A group of guys, a few from the other team, surrounded Sakura. It didn't look like they were harassing her, but they were up to something. Sakura smiled, giggled, and even blushed here and then at what the boys were saying. One of them pulled out his phone and handed it to her. The Pinkette took it from him and punched the screen several times. She handed it back and smiled.

Out of nowhere, Sakura was face to face with a bruised, raven haired boy. "Come on Sakura. Time to go home." He helped her up. As she was walking out of the building, Sasuke slowed to a stop. He turned to the group of boys and glared ferociously at them.

All the boys took a step back. The one with the cellphone in hand brought his hands up to a surrender. "Sorry man. I didn't know she was yours."

"You all have a goodnight," Sasuke insisted casually as he grinned. He hurried out of the building and met up with the girl, who was waiting patiently by his car door. "Sorry for making you wait."

"Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry about it. I had to take care of something." Sasuke threw the bags in the back seat of his car and drove away from the facility.

Moments later, Sakura closed her eyes and smiled. "Thanks Uchiha. I really appreciate your help."

 _Damn_ , Sasuke thought as his heart beat fast. "Hn. You're being too nice. You must have hit your head too hard."


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke and his group of friends formed a circle in the middle of the field. They played keepy ups and passed the ball around. For the most part, they were focused, but as time passed, the boys began to warm up to each other.

The group, especially Shikamaru and Naruto, complained about their partners. Although they weren't bad people, the two couldn't stand the fact that the girls were around them 24/7. Today, Thursday to be exact, was one of the days they had to themselves. The boys were enjoying every single moment they had to themselves.

Sasuke was different on the other hand. He couldn't help but to think about his partner. After he had dropped off Sakura at her house a couple days ago, he had yet to hear a single word from her. He attempted to text and call her, but she never answered. It was weird. Throughout the car ride, Sakura was silent. She had her head rested against the window and clutched her left shoulder.

It was obvious that she was in pain because it took so much energy for her to hold back tears. Her jaded orbs fought back as hard as they could to hold back the agony she was in. Not only that, she was trembling, and controlling, with what seemed like fear. Sasuke sensed that it was just more than physical pain. Was it because she was merely mortified of what happened? Or maybe it was because of what the stupid guy had told her after he ran into her? He couldn't put his finger on it, but he decided to go with his first option.

When they arrived to her house, Sasuke helped Sakura walk and guide her into her house. Her parents were relaxed on the couch watching TV, but as soon as they caught sight of their daughter, they immediately rose to their feet. The Uchiha explained in detail what occurred back at the indoor arena. Mrs. Haruno was horrified throughout the entire story.

Mr. Haruno simply laughed as he assured his wife how strong their girl was. He said things like, "Mebuki, our daughter is a tough young lady. Look at her, she's alive, isn't she?" Everyone gazed at Sakura, who sat motionless on her couch.

Mrs. Haruno slapped her husband and replied, "You Idiot! Look at her! She's not even moving! My poor baby!"

As the situation got heated between the married couple, Sasuke excused himself to the bathroom. After washing up, he apologized for the sudden intrusion and left the home. He had messaged the Pinkette several times before going to bed, but she didn't text back. Sasuke began to feel a bit frantic because their trip to Kiri was in a few days but reminded himself that it was going to be okay.

A day has passed and he still hadn't heard back from Sakura. Their trip was now less than a day away. Sasuke was nervous as ever. "Hey Uchiha!" Kiba threw his friend a water bottle. "You ready for Kiri?"

"I guess, but I haven't heard back from my partner. Hopefully she's okay."

Naruto wrapped his arm around his best friend's neck. "It's so weird for Sasuke to worry over a girl. It's not like you bro. Has she captured your heart?"

Shino joined in the conversation. "I could say the same for you, Naruto. Lately, you've become overly protective around Hinata. It's kind of like you guys are dating. Well, are you?"

The Uzumaki's face turned into a bright pink. He tried to retaliate but realized that Shino was without a partner. "Shut up. It's not like that. I'm just protecting her from those pesky jerks. Who knew she could attract those kinds of guys. Hinata is such a good girl! I just don't see her dating anyone like that."

"You guys," Shino continued as he sat down on the field. "I can see how this project has changed everyone. It's like Professor Iruka wanted this to happen. That sly teacher, it's as if he's toying with all of your feelings." This was one of the few times that Shino was happy that he was left out of the group, but he was curious to what it was like to have a girl by his side.

Shikamaru butted in. "You're lucky man. Temari is such a pain. All she ever does is complain and be bossy. There's a reason why I'm single. Having her around just confirms it." Neji couldn't help but to nod in agreement. He was also feeling pestered by TenTen, who wasn't as bad as Temari, but she did have her bossy side as well.

Kiba passed the ball to Naruto. "I dunno guys. I don't think it's all that bad. Tamaki is pretty and she's cool! We've had our moments here and there so far, but we do get along. Now that I think about it, I think that I might like her."

The group of college boys froze in place. Kiba could feel their eyes burn into his skin. Suddenly they all roared out in laughter. "Kiba's the man! Get some!"

Kiba's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Whatever losers. At least I can admit to taking an interest to my girl. You all are like a dog with its tail between its legs. Man up for once you guys."

While the group messed around with a love struck Inuzuka, Rock Lee pulled Sasuke to the side. "I think you should go visit Sakura."

"What?"

"You heard me Uchiha." Lee turned and waved. He wasn't just worried for the Pinkette, but also his friend. "Tell her I hope she feels better." All Sasuke needed was a push in his life. It was uncommon for him to worry over a person, much less a girl. Today was the day Sasuke was going to take that next step.

Taking his advice, he thanked Lee and slipped unnoticed.

.

Sasuke knocked on his partner's front door. Minutes later, a man in pink spiky hair swung the door open. Mr. Haruno's eyes looked as if he was bothered by the boy's abrupt presence. "Hello, Mr. Haruno," the Uchiha ventured carefully. He stuck his hand out for a handshake. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who brought Sakura home a couple days ago."

Kizashi eyed the emo looking kid. "I remember you. I forgot to thank you." He paused. "Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome, sir." Sasuke stood awkwardly as he pulled his hand back to his side. Sakura's Father blocked the doorway with his bulky body. His arms were crossed. By the looks of things, there was no way he was going to invite the college student in his home.

"What do you want, boy?"

Sasuke was blown back by Mr. Haruno's remark. One thing was certain; he was a certified jerk. "Uh, I came to see..."

A shrill voice called out from behind the pink haired man. "Who's there?!"

"No one My Love!"

"Are you sure?!"

Kizashi glared at Sasuke. "Positive."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. _Tch. He's got some nerve._

The front door opened wider and Mebuki smiled. "Oh it's you, Sasuke! Here to see Sakura?" The guest nodded. "Please come in. Sakura is in her room. Take the stairs up and make a left. It'll be the first door to your right."

"I'm sorry for the intruding again." Sasuke ran up the stairs.

Mebuki grabbed her husband by the ear and pulled him away. "Not at all! We enjoy having you over! As for you Kizashi..."

He reached the top of the stairs and lightly knocked on what he had hoped was Sakura's door. "Come in!" the voice called out. Sasuke entered andw as blown away with how her room was decorated. Three walls were painted a dark purple while the last one was black. Two of the four walls were covered with soccer and anime related posters and the others were simply bare. She also had a medium size desk, where her laptop and school books rested. It wasn't a very large room, but it had plenty of space to move around.

The Pinkette was laying comfortably in her bed, which was across from the desk. She was curled up in her bed sheets, staring at her cellphone. "How's it going, dude?" she said as her eyes never left the screen of her phone. "What brings you to my lovely abode?"

"Just checking up to see if you were alright. I haven't heard from you in the past day or so." Sasuke took a seat in the chair next to her desk. "Are you okay? A text message would have been nice you know."

"Awh. The Uchiha is worried about me," Sakura smirked. She was going to have a bit of fun teasing the crap out of her partner. "I didn't want to upset you Princess."

"Hn, I'm not upset! I was worried about you because a hundred and seventy-pound kid trucked into you." The nerve this girl had. Sasuke knew that Sakura was extremely sarcastic. It was the one thing he hated most. Even though he hadn't known her for very long, she was the splitting image of her Father. "Anyways, I hope you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Sakura took a quick glance at the Uchiha. "You were playing today?"

"Yup, but I wasn't up for it though. I guess you could say I'm nervous about going to Kirigakure."

"I am too, but we're going to have the time of our lives. Trust me, you're going to have so much fun." The Pinkette set her cellular device to the side and concentrated into the ceiling. "It'll be my first time going, so I'm super stoked!"

Sasuke couldn't help but to focus his attention on Sakura. She must have been lost in her mind because she stayed silent for about a minute or so. Every so often she smiled like an idiot but it faded right after. It was like she found the ceiling intriguing. At one point, Sasuke himself even glanced upwards to see what was so interesting about her roof. "What's it like to go to a rave?" He had no clue what to expect at festival. The only thing that came to mind was drugs, booze, and skanky girls.

"OH MY GOSH! It's about time you asked!" Sakura's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree in the winter. "Alright. Raves are incredibly fun. They're just like concerts, but better. First off, there are different genres of EDM..." She rambled on and on about the topic. Sasuke couldn't help but to compare her to a young child that was obsessed with Minecraft, not that it was a bad thing.

Although he did find raves a bit interesting, he wasn't paying much attention. His mind was focused on the girl cuddled into her bed. Sasuke was learning that Sakura had more sides to her than just the reserved one she always showed. Because of that, he was losing himself around her. There was more to be discovered about her and he was going to identify every side Sakura had.

"Here, let me show you some examples of each genre." She rolled out of her bed. Sasuke's eyes fell upon her body. All she was wearing was a black sports bra and a pair of black running shorts.

"Um... Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

He looked away awkwardly as his cheeks flushed. "You don't have a shirt on."

Sakura looked down at her body. "And?" A few moments she realized that it was distracting him. "Fine. I'll be right back." She paced out to her closet and fetched a clean white shirt.

Throughout the process, Sasuke couldn't help but to replay the image in his head. His partner had a nice body, though, she was bit on the thin side, but that didn't matter. Sakura had nicely toned abs, her arms were thin but muscular, and her legs were nice and slender. He did notice the enormous scab and bruise on her left shoulder that she had acquired a couple days ago from the incident.

It pissed him off more than anything because there was nothing he could have do to take it away from her. If he had known the intentions of the guy from the opposite team, he would have protected her. If only he hadn't gotten red carded in the match, she wouldn't have been in pain. The event would have never happened. Just the scene replaying in his mind made his blood boil.

Sakura walked next to her partner and opened her laptop. "I'm back. Shall we get started?" Sasuke didn't realize how tense he was until he let out a deep silent sigh. He relaxed his shoulders and sat back in the chair.

As the Pinkette surfed through the web, the Uchiha became more alert than ever. The more she informed him of the festival, the more he saw that this wasn't just any ordinary music festival. This was one of the biggest festivals in the world. People from all over the globe were going to attend. Sasuke was uneasy, but glad he agreed to travel with her.

 _Damn, I've got to watch over Sakura for sure._

.

 **A/N:**

 **Alright guys, I have two things for you:**

 **1\. After this chapter, I'll be updating chapters every week or two.**

 **2\. Also, chapters will be longer!**

 **I hope you're enjoying this story somewhat xD I personally think my writing isn't all that great, but its whatever lol. Thanks for your support!**


	12. Chapter 12

The two college students busted into the hotel room. Sakura threw her things down on the floor and plopped into one of the beds. "I'm so tired. I need to take a nap."

Sasuke joined in and laid into the bed that was next to hers. "Same. The flight was not as bad as I expected it to be." He and Sakura had woken up around four in the morning just to catch their eight o' clock flight. The reason behind this was because of how terrible Konoha traffic was. If they had left ten minutes later, they would have missed their plane ride. Although they had arrived early to the airport, it was better to be safe than sorry.

After waiting in the lobby for about an hour and a half, they departed to their destination. The ride to Kiri was packed with young adults, in their twenties, who were on their way to Mega Music Festival. Even for the number of people in the airplane, not one soul said a word. Sasuke couldn't blame them. Everyone was exhausted and the party was about to begin.

"What time does the festival start?"

"It starts around noon, but people don't show up until about six o'clock depending on the lineup. If I were you, get as much sleep as you can. You're going to need it." Sakura took her shoes off, curled up under the sheets of her bed, and drifted off to sleep.

Sasuke glanced at his phone and noticed that it was it was near noon time. Taking his partner's advice, he laid in his bed, but had a difficult time dozing off. He wasn't sure if he was anxious about the music festival or the fact Sakura was sharing a room with him. _How is she able to sleep like this? Is she not bothered by the fact that she's sharing a room with a guy?_ He tried not to put much thought into since the flight drained almost all his energy.

Moments later, he peacefully closed his eyes and relaxed his body.

.

The Uchiha woke up to his body shaking side to side. "Psst, Sasuke. Wake up," a soft voice cooed to him. He groaned and turned over on his side. "Hey, we need to start getting ready. Plus, we haven't eaten anything all day. I'm starving!" She was right. From the time his eyes fluttered open, his stomach growled violently. The only thing he ate were the peanuts from the plane. Food did not sound like a bad idea. "I'll be getting ready in the bathroom," Sakura called out as she made her way in.

"'Kay." Sasuke replied groggily. He quickly changed into a pair of plain black swim trunks and a dark red tank top. Minutes after he finished, Sakura emerged from the bathroom in a dark purple muscle shirt and black shorts. Her hair was braided more intricate than usual, which didn't exactly surprise Sasuke, but he never saw her in anything but a simple braid or bun. Also, her wrists were covered with what seemed like hundreds of neon beaded bracelets that covered her regular ones. "What are those things on your wrist?" He giggled under his breath. "You look really stupid."

Ignoring his rude remark, the Pinkette slipped on a pair of skate shoes. The last thing she wanted was her partner's nonsense at a time like this. "They're called 'Kandi'. They're like friendship bracelets you make, but you trade them with fellow ravers. It plays a big part in the whole PLUR mantra."

Sasuke was confused. "PLUR? Kandi? What does that even mean?"

"Figures. Ugh, you're so unbelieveable." Sakura sat next to Sasuke, who sat at the edge of his bed. "PLUR is an acronym that stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. Everyone in the Rave Scene is familiar with the term because it's our slogan. Long story short, it signifies that no matter what is going on in the world, we should treat each other with love and kindness, despite our differences. Let me show you something."

Sakura faced her partner and formed the peace sign in front of him. "Now follow my lead." Sasuke replicated the peace sign and their fingers touched. "Peace. Violence is never the answer." Sakura curved her hand and their hands formed a heart. "Love. We spread the love around to others." Then, her hand opened flat like a board. "Unity. Our hearts are united as one." Lastly, Sakura laced her thin fingers through Sasuke's, which caught him off guard. "Respect. Be mindful of the environment and the people around you." As she held onto his hand, Sakura removed one of her beaded bracelets and passed it over to Sasuke's wrist. "There! Now you've finally been officially indicted into the rave community! Congratulations Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke started at his wrist with the kandi. A few of the beads had letters that spelled out the word, "Smile", which were enclosed in bright colored beads. He thought the whole "Plur Mantra" and "Kandi" idea was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard in his life. His best friend Naruto had tendencies to spew out idiotic slurs, but this one had to top it off. Despite what he thought, he kindly accepted and thanked her.

.

The taxi dropped the two off at the festival. The line for the entrance was extremely long, but didn't take much time to reach the front. Sasuke noticed the people around him dressed in what he thought were upsurd outfits. Most people wore normal clothing. Girls wore bikini tops with shorts, or their entire two-piece swimsuit, and guys wore just their swim trunks. However, some cosplayed as superheroes and cartoon characters, but if they were on acid. They wore enormous necklaces, that were beaded and had charms handing from them, around their necks, kandi up past their elbows, and beaded masks that covered half their face.

He thought Sakura looked ridiculous, but after seeing the ravers, she was the normal human at the scene. It made him feel so underdressed that Sasuke began to think over his wardrobe. He contemplated whether he should head back to the hotel and change his clothing. He nearly asked Sakura if he could wear some of her kandi.

After waiting for about forty-five minutes and going through security, they finally made their way in to Mega Music Festival. It was all so much for the Uchiha to take in. He had never been to a rave, nonetheless a festival. He was surrounded by hundred, maybe even thousands of young adults in swimsuits, along with staff members. What he was supposed to feel, he had no idea, but for now, he was going to follow his partner's move. "Where to now?"

Sakura was not paying attention. Her eyes were gazing around the vibrant and lively environment. They sparkled like huge diamonds that glittered in the sky. At one point, Sasuke thought she was going to start sobbing with great emotion in front of the crowd. "I can't believe I'm here..."

"Sakura."

"I've been waiting for this moment for years…"

"Hey Sakura?"

Sakura ran both her hand through her hair. With the other hand, she clutched her heart. "I'm here. HOLY CRAP, I'M ACTUALLY HERE."

The Uchiha gripped her partners healthy shoulder. "EARTH TO SAKURA! YOOHOO!"

The Pinkette snapped back into her senses. "Sorry! What's up?"

"What now?"

Sakura smiled radiantly. "This is when we have the time of our lives!" She took off her muscle shirt and shoved it in her fanny pack. On her lean body, she revealed her purple and pink sports bra. Again, Sasuke looked away uncomfortably, but told himself that it was just a swimsuit. Why was he acting like this around her? Every other girl in the festival was practically naked. If anything, Sakura was probably the only girl that had most of her skin covered. "First things first, we need to get to a water station and fill up our Camel Packs. We don't want to die from dehydration."

Before they had continued their next move, Sasuke latched their cuffs together. "First things first. We're here for the project. Remember that." Sakura rolled her eyes and mimicked his voice. In retaliation, he stuck his tongue out and Sakura returned the gesture. "Alright, lead the way Captain Raver!"

Once they had reached the station and filled up their packs, Sasuke's mind itched for answers. "Yo, Haruno. What made you start raving in the first place? And when did you start raving?"

The Pinkette failed to answer immediately. After a minute, she cleared her throat. "To be honest, I'm still pretty new to the Rave Scene. It's been about over a year and a half now, but it feels like I've been raving for much longer. My friends were the ones that got me into it." She threw her Pack over her back. "Ready to go?"

Her answer was vague. It almost seemed like she was avoiding the question because her tone was rather uneasy and her voice shook a bit. "Yeah. Who are we going to see first?"

"Well," Sakura began as she pulled out a piece of paper with the name of the stages and the set times. "I want to see NGTMRE at the Bass Stage and right after we can head off to the Dance Stage and see A-Trak. After that, we can go where ever you want. We have about seven hours before the headliners perform their sets." She handed Sasuke the paper.

His onyx orbs scanned the page. There were Djs he recognized such as Skrillex, Steve Aoki, and Afrojack, but as for the rest, he had no idea who they were. He never listened to any form of EDM before except when Sakura had showed him a list of artists back at her place.

"Well, it's time to go! I don't want to miss NGHTMRE's set! We can discuss the artists after his set!" Sakura pulled the newly raver into the hectic crowd where they were drowned by people and upbeat music.

.

Experiencing the first couple sets of Mega Music Festival were not as bad as they seemed. Sasuke learned a few things from each stage. First off, each set lasted about an hour to an hour and a half. Second, if you danced like an idiot, no one batted an eye. Everyone around him was having too much of a good time to even worry over something so childish.

Only three hours had passed and he was exhausted. Watching NGTMRE wore him out instantly with his dubstep beats. On the other hand, Sakura was just warming up. When the first set was over, they headed off to see A-Trak, but about half way getting to the stage, Sakura noticed that an artist named Flux Pavilion was at another stage. Without giving much thought, they switched directions.

If Sasuke had learned another thing about Sakura, it was that she LOVED bass music. Anytime the beat dropped, she viciously threw her head back and forth. She was the definition of a headbanger. Sometimes, she got so into it that Sakura influenced the crowd around her and start a headbanging circle. There were numerous times where Sasuke feared that she was going to give herself a concussion. He tried to get her to chill, but Sakura wouldn't budge.

After switching in between sets, the Pinkette sat down in a nearby patch of grass with other people, in which Sasuke joined her. "Dude, NGHTMRE was AMAZING! Also, Flux Pavilion was super lit! Holy cow!" She grinned from ear to ear and sipped on her Camel Pack. "What do you think so far?"

"It's not what I expected it to be." Sasuke wasn't use to this kind of scene. If he wasn't playing soccer, he locked himself in his room and played videogames. Attending the festival was out of his comfort zone, but it wasn't terrible. In fact, he loved trying new things but was always too lazy to go through them. "There's a crap ton of people and flashing lights. I think if I go to another set, I'll have a seizure."

"Yeah, you'll get used to it, but I hope you're at least enjoying yourself at least somewhat." Sakura's voice sounded rather upset.

He pondered for a second. "I actually am even though I'm still getting used to it," he laughed nervously. "I'm excited to hear all the other artists too. Where are we off to now?"

"I don't know." Sakura handed him the list. "Let me know who sounds interesting and I'll see if I can give you some background info on him."

The Uchiha glared at the page. He had no idea who any of these artists were, but he might as well learn about some of them. "Who's the next Dj you want to see?"

"I want to see Skrillex, Aoki, and Martin Garrix by the end of the night, but we still have more than enough time before they play. Did anyone interest you?"

"Actually a few. There's Marlo, Laidback Luke, and Markus Schulz. What are they?"

Sakura groaned painfully as she rolled her eyes. "Ugh, why Sasuke? Why them? Of all people, you had to pick them."

"What are you talking about?! You said I could name anyone!"

"It's a basshead's worst nightmare. Please don't tell me that you're into trance," she moaned in agony. "I don't mind taking you, but you'll be bored out of your mind."

"You sure? I mean, if you don't want to go then we don't have to."

She waved her hand in in the air. "No! It's fine, really! I mean, it's my least favorite genre, but since I dragged you all the way to Kiri, this is least I can do for you."

 _Hn. She's feeling guilty._ Sasuke couldn't help but to smile. Victory was his and he was going to take advantage. "Alright then Haruno, which artist is the better?"

It took about a minute before Sakura had answered. "Honestly, I don't even know because I don't listen to trance. I would have to say LaidBack Luke, but many could argue that Markus Schulz is better. But since you asked me, I'd rather go see Luke because the man is freaking gorgeous!"

The last sentence made the Uchiha's eyes spin to the side. "Well, it looks like we are going to see Markus Schulz. C'mon Mrs. LaidBack-Luke-is-freaking-gorgeous." He stood up and pulled his partner to the Trance Stage.

"AGGHH! You suck, you know that?!"

.

Markus Schulz wasn't as bad as Sakura made it out to be. It turned out that he loved the artist. When Markus was about halfway through his set, Sasuke noticed that Sakura was bored out of her mind. She occasionally bobbed her head here and there, but other than that, she stood motionless. When the set ended, they made their way to the House Stage. Skrillex's set wasn't ready for about another thirty minutes so they decided to spend their time jamming to Dzeko and Torres's cheery beats.

Finally, it was a genre they both could agree on. Sasuke didn't like dubstep because of the constant distorted bass and Sakura didn't like trance because she claimed it had no real drop. House music was much more enjoyable than anything they've both heard. It was cheerful, positive, and much easier to dance to.

Even though the Uchiha hated dubstep, Skrillex was different. He very much loved his set. Sakura definitely loved it since she tossed her head forwards and backwards nearly throughout the entire set. He found it interesting to see the Pinkette dance. One second she was headbanging, and the next, she jumped up and down to the beat. It was entertaining to watch her. This wasn't the Sakura Haruno he knew from class.

They left Skrillex early to catch part of Steve Aoki's set since the two Djs overlapped each other. Just when his set nearly finished, Steve began to chuck several cakes into the crowd. Sasuke thought it was peculiar how the crowd went berserk when they got hit, but at this point into the festival, nothing seemed to faze him. From cosplayers on acid to a crazy, pink haired girl losing her mind over dubstep, he pretty much had seen it all.

For Martin Garrix, about more than half of the ravers were piled into the Main Stage. It didn't take Sasuke long to figure out that Garrix was an extremely famous Dj. He and the Pinkette were just about hundred yards from the stage and decided to make their way as close to the stage as possible. They had to push their way through, but at a certain point, the crowd denied them from doing so. It was a bummer, but they still enjoyed their last hour and a half at MMF.

.

Sakura fumbled into the hotel room and Sasuke followed right behind. They removed the cuff string, their clothing, slipped into their pajamas, and slid into their beds. Showering was essential but the two were way too exhausted to even move. "Day one complete." Sakura brought the covers over her body. "Two more days left."

In the back of his mind, Sasuke cringed at the thought of spending the next two days raving. He had a blast, but going another two days straight seemed a bit extreme. He gave it another thought, but decided to not be a killjoy. "Today was pretty cool. I can't wait for tomorrow." He waited for a response but didn't receive one. "Sakura?" Sasuke honed his ears. He could hear Sakura's steady yet soft breath in the quiet room.

Sasuke smiled and tucked himself in his bed. "Huh, I guess she does get tired." He closed his eyes and joined his partner shortly after.


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Sasuke woke up, it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Considering that they arrived to their hotel room last night around three-thirty in the morning, nine hours of sleep did its job. He felt refreshed and like a new person. He looked over to the bed next to his and saw that Sakura was wide awake. She was browsing through her phone looking at who knows what. Sasuke silently rolled out of his bed and took a nice steaming shower.

During the shower, he began to feel the muscles in his arms and legs ache. There was no way he could continue to rave for a second day. Yesterday was certainly enough and going back again was literally going to kill him. He feared that his muscles were going to tear in half by the third day.

"Hey dude," Sakura said as her partner walked out the foggy bathroom. "Mind, if we grab a bite to eat in a few minutes? I want to walk around the city for a bit and see what's around."

He shook his head. "I don't mind at all. Will we have time to come back and get ready before the festival?"

"Of course."

"Let me get dressed really quick and we'll head out." He threw on a pair of jeans and nice shirt. When he left the bathroom, he noticed that Sakura had dressed into a pair of ripped, cropped jeans and a red flannel shirt. Also, her sleeves were rolled up about half up her forearm and her hair was loose.

"Ready?" Sakura asked and she tied on her shoes.

Sasuke gazed at his partner. Not long, he shook himself out of the trance like state and collected his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm ready."

.

Instead of eating at a greasy fast food restaurant, the two had decided to settle for something a bit more high end. It wasn't every day that the both young adults had a fancy lunch. There was a decent Mexican place called "A's" that was near the hotel. Their minds were blown by the fact that it wasn't just a mere Mexican restaurant. A's served top of the line enchiladas, seafoods, and various authentic platters made by a well-known chef.

After gorging their stomachs to the brim, Sasuke and Sakura decided to take a walk on the beach. Today was the best day because when tomorrow would roll around, they'd probably just sleep in. Sand squished in between their toes as they held their shoes in their hands. Occasionally, the ocean's water rose to the shore and washed the dirt away from their feet. Sakura was farther in the ocean. She kicked the saltwater when it rose to close to her and even bent down to touch it.

"Sakura, why do you always have your headphones in at school?"

The sudden question shocked the Pinkette. "I don't really know. I really love to listen to music. It has become a big part of my life."

"That's it? Sorry Haruno, but you're going to have to give me more than just that."

She bit her lip. Hesitantly, Sakura responded. "Yeah." For the next five minutes, the two college students kept their mouths shut. Sasuke couldn't help but to internally slap himself on the face. This was the second time that he struck the Pinkette's nerve. It wasn't awkward between each other, but there was tension hanging in the air. "Do you ever feel like you're never good enough?"

The Uchiha looked and noticed the young woman staring off into the ocean's horizon. The wind blew her hair softly to the side. She took a seat in the sand and innocently played with it. "Well, it depends what exactly you're talking about," Sasuke replied.

"Just in general, I guess."

"Well, that doesn't help much." The young man took his seat next to the girl and joined in on toying with the sand. "But to answer your question, yes. There were various times that I felt that way. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I was just wondering." The look on Sakura's face wasn't sad, but she did appear upset. It was like something was eating her up inside.

"If someone or something makes you feel that you're never worth it, then they're aren't worth keeping by your side. If you want a person/thing next to you, then they should make you feel happy. You shouldn't have to change yourself for them."

Sakura pondered on her thoughts for a bit. Sasuke gazed at the sand in front of him. He had now discovered a new side of her, but this time, it was different from the others she displayed. Of course, all her sides were different from one another, however, he had never seen Sakura so bothered in her life. It made him question whether if she alright or not. Again, neither of them had said a word.

A boy, about the age of seven, ran next to the Pinkette. "H-Hiya Miss! I-Is that your boyfriend-d."

Sasuke choked on his spit and Sakura slightly blushed. "No, but why do you ask?"

The little boy pulled out a flower from behind him and handed it to the young woman. "I think you're really pretty." His chubby cheeks flushed to a nice soft crimson color.

Sakura couldn't help but to smile. "Thank you little man." She took hold of the brittle daisy. The boy sprinted and hugged what seemed like his parents. He turned back and waved goodbye to his crush. The Pinkette waved back.

"Tch. It looks like I have some competition," Sasuke muttered to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"NOPE," Sasuke rapidly answered. He didn't mean to say those words out loud, but his mind took over. "Anyways, did I answer your question?"

Sakura twirled the delicate flower between her fingers. She stood up and held her hand out to her partner. "It did. Thank you, Sasuke."

When Sakura smiled, at that exact second, nothing else in the world mattered to Sasuke, but her. He quickly looked away to hide his rosy cheeks. "Hn. Whatever loser. Let's get going or we will miss the festival." He took her hand and continued their walk on the beautiful beach.

.

"OH MY GOSH! TODAY IS GOING TO BE SO AWESOME!" Sakura shrieked as she danced to the music from a nearby stage. "After Getter, we must listen to Flosstradamus, then Headhunterz, Breathe Carolina, and OH SNAP! WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT SHOWTEK! As she continued to fawn over the set list, Sasuke once again cuffed himself to the wild girl. "Alright, Mega Music Festival Day Two here we go!"

After headbanging continuously for about three hours, it was the Uchiha's turn to choose from the list. Out of the kindness of his heart, he avoided the Trance Stage. In complete honesty, if Sakura was enjoying herself, then that's all that mattered. "You said you wanted to see Showtek, right?"

"Of course! But don't you want to listen to someone, since we already listened to my artists?"

Sasuke clenched his jaw as he scanned the paper. _Don't go to trance. Don't go to trance._ A name on the sheet clicked his brain. "Kaskade sounds like an interesting dude."

"Hm. I haven't seen him yet. He's not playing until much later though. Anyone you want to see now?"

As much as he wanted to hit the Trance Stage, he was going to keep his word. He never was the one that made sacrifices, but this was Sakura. She was the last person he would sacrifice anything to, but he felt compelled to give her the reins today. "How does Showtek sound?"

.

Raging for another two sets began to affect Sasuke's body. He begged the Pinkette for a short break, and to his luck, she granted him the request. They refueled their water supply and sat down on a bench. Not long after, they made their way to the Dance Stage for Kaskade. It wasn't as packed as Martin Garrix, but there was an enormous number of people around the stage.

Halfway into the set, the music slowed down drastically. Instantly, the crowd around them, mostly drunk girls, began to sob their hearts out. _Ha_ , Sasuke thought as he laughed. _They're so drunk. It's like they're listening to Drake._ "Hey Sak-" What he saw next made his stomach drop. Sakura had tears rolling down her face. Her green, beautiful eyes were focused on Kaskade. Seconds later, she bawled her eyes out. "Sakura?! What's wrong?!" She shook her head and wiped her tears away. Again, Sasuke pestered her and by the looks of it, she wasn't going to give in.

The Pinkette reached into her fanny pack and pulled out the keys to the cuffs. In one swift motion, Sakura uncuffed herself and darted away from the stage. In her mind, she needed to get away, but in her partner's, he needed to catch her.

"SAKURA!" Sasuke sprinted after her but lost her in the sea of ravers in seconds. "DAMMNIT!" He frantically searched around the crowd but found no trace. He tried to call her realized that his phone was in her fanny pack. From each of the stages to the porta potties to the Medical Tent, Sasuke searched high and low. He even asked people around for the girl, but they all denied seeing her.

 _Crap, crap, crap_ , the Uchiha pondered as his heart thumped with fear. Out of the thousands of people, there was no way he could find a small girl in pink hair. It was going to be impossible for him to search alone. He was going to have to ask security for help if the time came to it. If he didn't find her soon, someone else will and it wasn't going to end well.

Finally, after searching for eternity, Sasuke found his partner sitting under a palm tree alone. He stomped his way to her and let his mouth do the talking. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" No response. "SAKURA, I'M TALKING TO YOU."

She looked up. "Sorry." Her eyes were red and swollen. She hadn't let up on the crying since they lost contact.

As irritated as he was, Sasuke sat next to her and took a deep breath. "What was all that about?! You had me worried sick!"

"It's none of your business, Uchiha."

"Actually, it is my business, Haruno. Do you have any idea how stupid you were back there? You took off without saying anything! What was all that about?!"

Sakura rested her head between her knees. "I said I was sorry. Isn't that enough for you?"

"No, just a sorry isn't going to cut it." He cuffed his partner back into place and shoved the keys in the pockets of his swim trunks. "We aren't going to leave until you confess." Sakura was silent. "All right then. It looks like we are going to have to miss Deorro's set."

"Fine!" Sakura sighed forcefully. She paused for a few moments. "I dated this guy for about three years. At first, it was all sunshine and rainbows, but as time progressed, he wasn't the guy I thought he was. Long story short, it didn't work out in the end so I dumped him." Her jaded orbs filled with hot tears once again, but this time, she blinked them away but a few of them streaked down her face. "There. Are you happy now?"

The ravers around gave Sasuke nasty looks. Some even muttered, "What a jerk." and, "She's way too pretty to cry over him."

"Is that it?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura shot him a perplexed look. "What do you mean 'That's it'?"

"I mean, you ran because of you thought about your ex? That's pretty lame if you ask me."

Sakura snapped. "There's more to it than that, but I'm not comfortable with sharing with someone I don't really know."

Sasuke felt a pang in his heart. It was like a giant bee had stung him. Sure, they had only known one another for about less than a week, but it still hurt him. Knowing her, for Sakura to even mutter those words, there was a bigger issue. No one breaks up with their significant other of three years just because of little differences unless a drastic issue ensued. "Hn. Whatever. It's still lame for ditching me like that. Next time, don't ever pull a stunt like that again." He tried to play cool, but it seemed like she bought it.

"Sorry," Sakura said apologetically. "Sorry for being a real jerk most of the time. I don't mean to be rude, but I guess that's how I come off as."

"Ah…" Sasuke was caught off guard with the random apology. Overall, he knew something much deeper was scratching at her. "You know what? Don't worry about it. If you aren't the sarcastic, witty, Pinky I know, then I don't know who you are." He stood up and held out his hand. "Come on. We came to party not be all up in our feelings. Just so you know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Sakura took his hand. "Thank you again. I owe you big time." Again, she lost herself in her thoughts and was about to burst into tears.

Sasuke shook his head. "Hey! Stop crying you." He poked her forehead with his finger. Sakura blushed lightly. "Let's keep raving until you no longer can. But first, I have to pee."

"Same here," she replied as she rubbed the spot on her forehead where her partner poked her.

They both made their way to the potties. The walk wasn't as awkward as they both anticipated. Words were exchanged here and there, but it wasn't enough to start a decent conversation. When they arrived to their destination, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets, but his heart sank rapidly. Furiously, he jammed both hands in the slits of his shorts and rummaged. "Uh, Sakura?"

"Yes?"

He gulped nervously. "I think… I may have lost the keys."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**

 **As a Thanksgiving present, here's a chapter! Happy Turkey Day!**

 **.**

"Sasuke look for them! I seriously have to pee!"

"I am! I'm telling you, I can't find them!" Sasuke was losing his mind. Not only did he have to pee, but his partner had to as well. Without the keys, there was no way they could use the bathroom.

"That's it," Sakura confessed. "I can't hold it in any longer." Without hesitation, she grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him to the nearest potty. They waited about several seconds for an available one. After one was vacant, Sakura and Sasuke shoved them self in the cramped and horrid space.

"Are we really doing this right now?!"

"We don't have a choice! I'm about to freaking pee all over myself because of you." That was something Sasuke couldn't argue. Because of him, they both were in a complicated predicament. He thought he was responsible enough to hold the keys, but that turned out to be an epic fail. "Turn around!" Sakura spun her partner.

"Jeez," the Uchiha said. Shortly, he heard a stream of water being poured down the toilet. _Holy Moly. Sakura is peeing behind me._ The thought of the Pinkette using the bathroom made Sasuke's nerves jump. His brain began to wander off and he shuttered at the images he saw.

Sakura snarled ferociously. "I swear if you turn around, I'll dunk you in this porta potty."

"Trust me, Sakura, I don't want to look."

The Pinkette finished and the two swapped places. For a strange reason, Sakura was nervous. As she heard her partner excrete his liquids, her body began to grow hot. Just thinking about him sent cold chills down her spine. Sakura wanted out of the tight space, but it was impossible.

"Hey, chill out!" Sasuke snapped. "I almost got piss all over myself." He smirked. "Don't go peeking now. I mean, unless you want to."

"You're such an idiot," Sakura muttered as she blushed. Thankfully, Sasuke couldn't see her. She could feel her cheeks burn and because of that, she was afraid that Sasuke would make fun of her or worse, get the wrong idea. "Are you almost done?"

"Yeah, yeah."

As soon as they stepped out of the potty, a crowd of about thirty or so people reviewed the two. Sakura and Sasuke could feel their eyes burn into their skin. Some snickered and gave them a thumbs up but others shot comments like, "Get a room," or "Keep it your pants".

"Want to forget this ever happened?"

Sakura nodded in agreement. "Yep. That would be really nice."

.

Up until their final set, Sasuke and Saukra were having the time of their lives. They had danced, traded Kandi, and held small talks with fellow classmates that attended their University. Sasuke was surprised to his buddy, Jugo, at the festival. It never struck in his mind that he was the party type. But then again, he wasn't either.

They reached the Main Stage and Tiesto's set began. For the most party, he played a progressive house set, with a few added trance songs, but it was a fairly decent concert. As Tiesto's set was ending, there was a specific song that caught the Uchiha's attention. He fell in love with the lyrics from the moment it began.

 ** _Some days we slip into our dream where we are/Free to be are that we can be_**

Sasuke thought about a special girl in his life.

 ** _Feel the moment so alive/Dive into your eyes where you can't hide_**

He imagined her precious eyes, her perfect hair, and her beautiful smile. In his eyes, she was flawless. If it was any feature the loved the most, it was her pearly white smile.

 ** _You're so close to me (x3) So close_**

Sasuke glanced to the young woman dancing next to him. Her beauty was captivating. She was singing and grinning to the music without a care in the world.

 ** _You're so close to me (x3) So close_**

Acting on his own, he reached out and laced his fingers through hers. He waited for the Pinkette to react violently, but what he got was a shock. She returned the gesture by lacing her thin fingers through his. She looked at the boy and radiantly smiled.

When the beat dropped, the two bounced and danced like no other. By the time the festival ended, the two walked to their taxi hand in hand, ignoring the hectic life around themselves.

.

"Holy cow, Tiesto was AMAZING," Sakura announced in total ecstasy. Her smile had yet to fade since the moment the artist's set had begun.

"Honestly, Tiesto has to be my favorite Dj now. He had really great songs!" Sasuke was referring to the one song he fell in love with. It was the one where he held his partner's hand. "Well, we got to rest up. Day Three is tomorrow and we have to finish strong."

"You got that right." Sakura tried to get to her bed but felt her body being yanked backwards. "Oh yeah, we're still together," she sighed deflatingly.

Sasuke gave her an uneasy look. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. I've had too much of a good time tonight and I don't want to spoil it over something like this. Whatever has happened, happened and there's no point arguing over it." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Truthfully, I'm too exhausted to even talk. I feel like I'm going to pass out."

He couldn't agree with her statement. The truth was that he was just as exhausted as she was. They had been at the festival since five o'clock in the afternoon and it was now four in the morning, due to traffic in the parking lot. There was no way he could go another day, but he had to. Sasuke had to do it for her. "I'm beat. Let's just call it a night, all right?"

She nodded and the two of them got into bed. They snuggled under the sheets but left a good amount of space between each other. They awkwardly laid on their backs and stared into the ceiling. It was the only sleeping position that was most comfortable.

 _Stupid Iruka_ , Sasuke pondered. _I hate that guy._

"Don't try anything funny, Uchiha."

Sasuke snorted. "If I wanted to take advantage of you, I would have already done it. Can't you trust me for once? I'm not who you think I am."

"Don't get your panties in a wad, Princess." She sighed and fell silent.

"Sakura?" Not a word. "That was fast." _I don't blame her._ Sasuke shut his eyes and dozed off.

.

 **-Sakura-**

"Psst, Sasuke." The boy next to me muffled a groan. "Sasuke! Wake up!"

"Okay, okay," he managed to choke up. He rolled over to his side, but what I saw next chilled me to the bone.

Instead of it being my lame partner, it was a guy, about the age of twenty-two, in short, red hair lying next to me. His dark, crimson eyes glared lustfully into the depths of my soul. I was frozen with terror. I tried to lift a finger, but my body would not respond.

"What's wrong babe? Did you miss me?" He reached over, but I able to swat his hand away. I attempted to fight back it was no use. He was at least ten times stronger than I was. The young man had gotten on top of me. With one of his calloused hands, he held my wrists down above my head. "I see you haven't changed." With his free hand, he caressed my cheek softly. "I do miss this though." He ran his finger down my neck and over my chest. "And these…" He continued down my abdominals and stopped right bellow my belly button.

Tears were flowing from my eyes and down my face. I cried for help but words failed to escape my lips. It was as if I was under a spell he casted. There was one person on my mind and he was the only one that could help me in this moment. I looked over to the bed next to mine and noticed a figure curled up under the sheets. I called out to him as hard as I could, but again, my voice was silent.

"Shh…," the red head whispered as he brought his finger up to my lips to seal them. "I'm the only one you need. We were meant for each other." He burrowed his face into my neck. His lips hungrily fed on my skin.

His scent was dark yet delicious. I did what I could to remember who he truly was. The last thing I wanted was to fall right back into his trap. I broke the cycle once and I was going to do it again. My mind wandered to him. _Sasuke… Help me…_

The stranger spoke softly. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

 _Sasuke…_

The man rose and caressed his hands all over my body. Suddenly, they made their way to my neck and he tightened his grip. "Do you have any idea how I felt?! You had me worried sick!" His rough hands squeezed tighter.

My breathing was shallow and hot tears formed around my eyes. _Please Sasuke!_

"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?!" Again, his hands closed tighter around my neck, making it impossible for me to breathe.

After fighting to get my voice heard, I shrieked from the bottom of my lungs. "SASUKE!"

.

 **-Normal POV-**

The girl next to him rustled in her sleep for about fifteen minutes. He tried to fall asleep but the more he drifted off, the harder she moved.

"Curse you, Pinky." Sasuke groaned. He switched on the lamp to catch a better look. The lights flickered on and the first thing he was the amount of sweat Sakura was producing.

He touched her forehead, but no sign of a fever. Soon tears rolled down her cheeks. She began to mutter words but he couldn't make out what they were. "Hey Sakura, wake up." He shook her gently, but it looked like it was making matters worse. "Sakura!" Just as he was going to give her one final shake, she shot up from her resting position.

"SASUKE!" She panted as if she had finished playing a full-time soccer match that went into overtime. Sakura was hit with a wave of nausea. She covered her mouth and bolted for the bathroom but was held back by her partner. "Sasuke, I'm not going to make…"

"Going to what?!"

In that second, the Pinkette gagged and the Uchiha knew exactly what she meant. Not letting a second go to waste, he quickly carried her to the toilet. Barely making in time, his partner projectile into the ceramic tub.

As Sasuke tried to hold her hair back, she shoved him away. Get away from me!"

"I'm trying to h-"

"Leave me alone!" After she finished vomiting what was left in her stomach, she embraced herself and cried silently. "Don't.. Touch me…," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over.

Sasuke had no idea what was going on. It was obviously a nightmare, but if it had affected her like this, it was more of a living hell. "Hey, it's all right! Let's go back to sleep." He light touched her shoulder, which was the biggest mistake he made.

Sakura flinched violently. She quickly brought her hands up to her neck as if she were protecting it. "No! Don't hurt me, please! I'm sorry!" She fumbled towards the corner of the room and cowered. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I SAID I'M SORRY!"

"Calm down, Sakura! I wasn't going to do anything! Snap out of it!" Sasuke didn't even know what to do anymore. He wanted to call her Mother, but his cellphone was back on the stand. Him trying to physically comfort her was a complete disaster. The only thing idea he had in mind was for Sakura to wear herself down. Then just maybe he could do something. Trying to stay calm himself, he sat across the distressed Pinkette until the episode ended.

About an hour later, or so it seemed, Sakura had ceased to cry. She was resting against the bathroom wall with her head between her knees. Her head bobbed side to side. Sakura was exhausted, but if she closed her eyes, she would see him again.

Sasuke was nervous. He didn't know if his next move could trigger the young woman into a state of hysteria. Taking his chances, he reached out, embraced the girl, and carried her bridal style to the bed. She began to bawl softly, but Sasuke spoke softly to her. "Shh. It's going to be okay. I promise I won't hurt you."

He laid her down, but she clung onto his sweaty shirt for dear life. "Don't go," she begged. "Please, please, please, don't-"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just getting comfortable." And he did. He made his way under the covers and Sakura snuggled in close to him. He could feel her hot breath against his chest.

"Promise you won't?"

"I won't what?"

With her free arm, she wrapped it around Sasuke's body. "You won't leave me?"

"I promise."

Satisfied with his answer, Sakura knocked out into a deep slumber.

Sasuke reached over to the nightstand and clicked the screen of his phone several times. Before hitting the green button, several thoughts ran across his mind. He knew he should have called her parents right away, but it was about seven in the morning. Back in Konoha, it would have been around three in the morning. If he had called, he would worry Mr. and Mrs. Haruno for the remainder of their trip.

It would be such a huge inconvenience. It was better to wait. The Uchiha turned the screen of his phone off and brought the Pinkette closer to his body. He caught a whiff of her scent. Even if he could smell sweat and vomit lingering in his nose, the smell of cherry blossoms filled his body. He couldn't help but to wonder if she had always smelt like this. Was it the type of shampoo she used or was it simply the pH level her body produced.

With the luscious, sweet odor still lingering in his body, he embraced her gently. "I promise not to leave your side."


	15. Chapter 15

Sasuke woke up with a feeling to his chest. It didn't take him long to figure out that Sakura slept peacefully on him. Their breathing patterns were coordinated. He could feel her warm breath touching his skin, which sent goosebumps across his skin.

Although he got only a couple of hours of sleep, he felt more refreshed than before. The night was a nightmare and he was glad that it was all over. The Uchiha replayed the scene in his head. It rocked him to the bone with distress.

 _Get away from me!_

 _Leave me alone!_

 _Don't hurt me! I'm sorry!_

Those words and her depressing tone repeated over like a broken record. He looked down at the Pinkette. She was still sound asleep. He brought his hand up to her head and ran his fingers through her soft, oily hair. Sakura rustled and muffled a sigh but then laid still.

This wasn't those nightmares anyone dreamt. It was one of those hellish times you've experienced in life that could, and would haunt you for the rest of your life, if left bottled up. Whatever Sakura experienced, it had a gigantic impact on her life. No one could have reacted to a dream like this and be okay the next day. Sasuke was embracing for the moment she woke up.

"Sasuke?"

Her voice startled the Uchiha. "What's up?"

Sakura fumbled on her words. "D-Did last night... Did it happen?"

"Yeah, it happened." Sasuke waited for a response, but his partner was motionless. He wanted to comfort her, but what was he supposed to say? This had never happened to him or his friends. "Are you feeling better?"

She rolled off Sasuke and sat up at the edge of the comforter. "A lot better, thanks for asking." With her free hand, she ran her fingers through her hair and let out a stressed sigh.

He closely watched her tousle her hair to the back of her shoulders. "No problem. Hey, it's still pretty early. We should try to get some more rest."

It was apparent that Sakura didn't want to sleep anymore. Sasuke couldn't blame her, but he was exhausted. "I'm all right. If you're tired, just go to bed. I can wait until you wake up."

Sasuke sat up and faced the Pinkette's back. "Sakura? Did... Did you want to talk about what happened?" She was silent. "It's okay if you don't want to, but I had a feeling you wanted to vent." He reached out and gently grazed her shoulder, but the moment his fingers touched her skin, she violently twitched. "Sak-"

"I'm fine! I'm okay, it's nothing," she forced from her lips. "I don't want to talk about it." She attempted to continue her sentence, but her voice cracked an octave higher. "I'm all right. Please do not worry about me."

It broke his heart to see his partner brush off such a sensitive subject. His heart cracked even more when he saw tears fall from her eyes. Sasuke had no clue how long Sakura was dealing with these encounters. Was it weeks? Months? Maybe even years? He couldn't help but to curse the person who did this to her.

Sasuke rested his forehead against her bareback. "I'm here for you, Sakura. If you ever want to talk about anything, I'll be waiting." He laid back down and closed his eyes. "Wake me up when it's a reasonable time."

.

Much later, Sasuke woke up again to Sakura sleeping on his chest. They were still cuffed and sleeping arrangements were extremely uncomfortable. Despite all this, Sakura needed comfort. He could feel her hands wrap around his body. As much as he wanted to stay in the position forever, he woke the girl up. There was no way he wanted her to miss the last day of the festival. It was already five o'clock in the afternoon and they had yet to eat.

They quickly brushed their teeth and freshened up in the bathroom. Sasuke tried to make conversation, but Sakura either replied with one word or didn't reply at all. She was being distant and it bothered him that she was acting that way. This wasn't the Sakura Haruno she knew. He knew a Sakura Haruno that was rude and sarcastic, and not distant. This side of her was different from the side she showed at school. At least she communicated with classmates at the University, but as of now, she ignored him completely.

After getting ready, they left and grabbed a bite to eat at a local fast food joint and then head off to the final day of MMF. This day was certainly the most enjoyable of all days. It was like Sakura had mentioned before, they left all their worries and problems from the moment they entered through the gate.

They saw artists such as Avicii, Alan Walker, Bingo Players, Yellow Claw, and Sakura's two favorites, Marshmello and Excision. Sasuke was not fond of Excision, since he thought dubstep was a bunch of distorted sounds thrown together, but he did enjoy Marshmello. He had this cheery, joyous, and positive vibe. Sasuke understood why Sakura had loved this artist so much.

The Mega Music Festival had finally ended and ravers began to disperse themselves back to their resting quarters. Sasuke and Sakura were no different. They rode back to the hotel in silence.

.

"And that's a wrap!" Sasuke plopped onto the bed and stretched his arms to the sky. "Now our flight is in about six hours, so that will give us about a few hours to rest until then."

"If only someone didn't lose the keys," Sakura sneered. "I seriously need to shower, but I can't do that because of you."

Sasuke pinched his nose. "Yeah you do! You reek of dead mouse."

"Shut up," she spat. "You didn't shower either. You smell twenty times worse than me. There was no time for a shower last night!"

Sasuke sighed. "Well, you might not like this, but we're going to have to take turns. One person stands outside the tub, while the other washes up. Then we switch places and repeat the step."

Sakura wanted to argue, but there was no other plan. Sweat from yesterday and today had layered itself on her skin. If she could, she could scrape off the grime with her fingernails. "Fine, but if you peek at me, I swear to God, Sasuke... I'll gouge your eyes out."

.

Sasuke could feel hot water hit against his hand. He sat on the toilet, which was near the tub. On occasion, soap and water trickled down his arm and soaked his tank top. Sakura's sports bra was around his wrist, due to the fact they were cuffed and could not physically remove the top. "Remind me why we are doing this again?"

"Because I need to shower. I said it once and I'll say it again, It's your fault that you lost the keys. Hopefully we can explain to the security at the airport why we are attached like this. I pray they don't think that we are into kinky stuff."

"Jeez, I said sorry. Besides, it's your fault that you ran away from me."

"Shut up." She turned the water off. "I forgive you, okay? Could you please pass me my towel and while you're at it, close your eyes? I'm getting out the tub."

He did as he was told. He heard the curtain rustle. That was his cue to jump into the steamy tub. He stripped himself clean and started the shower. Oh, how nice it felt. Warm water showered over his grimy, sweaty body. "Ah, I really needed this."

"I told you." Sakura responded as she got dressed. "Sorry I took so long. I love to take long showers."

Sasuke couldn't agree more. "I do too so don't worry." He hummed a familiar tune and noticed that the Pinkette had joined in. "Hey, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Shoot."

He hesitated for a moment. He wanted to know more about what happened the night before, but was anxious that he would trigger another PTSD like attack. "If I may, what happened last night?" He continued to let the water beat against his skin.

"It's something I don't talk about." The tone in her voice had a harsh ring to it.

"Sorry. I get that you don't want to tell me, but can you at least answer this? Does it have to do with your Ex?"

Sakura paused. Her bottom lip quivered for a second, but decided to reply confidently. "We just weren't meant to be. Things happened and I ended our relationship."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "You have no reason to be sorry. I did the right thing. If anything, I'm so much better than I was before. I don't have anyone breathing down my back and telling what to do."

"Good for you. You're being really optimistic."

"I'm not being optimistic, it's the truth. Anyways, you almost done?"

Sasuke noticed that Sakura no longer wanted to talk about her past. Whatever she was hiding, it was deep. It was probably best if he let that alone until she was ready to disclose that information. "Yeah." He switched the water off. "My towel and clothes please."

She stuck her hand through the curtain and Sasuke dressed himself. They both were in the same tops they wore, but their lower halves were in pajamas. One thing and one thing only were on their minds. "Let's get to bed."

.

Sasuke shoved his hand in the pocket of his swim trunks for the last time as a desperate act. He wanted to wake up from the nightmare of being cuffed to Sakura. Well, to be honest, he enjoyed staying by her side. The girl was rather interesting and he wanted to figure her out completely. Between his fingers, he felt a small piece of metal stab into his skin. _No way. It can't be._ He pulled the foreign object from the pocket and glared at it.

He glanced over to see his partner. She was neatly folding her clothes into her suitcase and packing everything else before they left. Deciding whether to tell her not, Sasuke tapped her shoulder. "What's up," she called out to him.

The raven-haired kid gulped. "Well, I have something to tell you. You see..." He stuck out his hand. "I, uh, found the keys."

"You what?!" Sakura swiveled her head around. Her eyes laid upon the key. "How long ago did you find this?!"

"Just now! I promise," Sasuke pleaded.

The Pinkette only sighed and detached herself. "I believe you. If you don't mind, I'm going to sleep in my own bed tonight." First, she grabbed a clean shirt from her suitcase. Sakura vanished into the bathroom and moments later, she emerged with it over her body. Finally, she slipped under her covers and cuddled with one of the soft pillows. Within moments, she was out cold.

.

Hours later, Sasuke woke up to the sound of muffled cries. His guess was that his partner was doing her best to hide it from him. She was probably crying over that stupid Ex of hers. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she weakly responded. "I'm okay."

"Positive?"

"Mhmm."

There was a long silence. It was obvious that she was lying, but Sasuke didn't want to push her more than he had. Maybe it was best to leave her alone. Minutes later, she began to sniffle again. Sakura got up to use the bathroom, but stayed well over twenty minutes. He had since then heard movement from the other side, which worried him.

Sasuke carefully made his way to the door and lightly knocked. No response. His hand slowly twisted the knob and turned it. To his luck, it was open. "I'm coming in Sakura." His eyes onyx eyes fell upon a girl coward into the corner of the restroom. She hugged her knees and rested her head against the tiled wall.

 _She must have fallen asleep._ He picked her up bridal style and laid across her bed. Expecting her to stay asleep, her hands tightened around the front of Sasuke's shirt.

"Sasuke?" Her voice was shaking.

"Yes?"

"Can... you sleep next to me tonight? Please?"

He smiled and joined her. "Of course, but don't try anything funny," he teased playfully.

"Whatever loser." Sakura wrapped her arms around her.

Sasuke noticed the hint of laughter in her tone. These were the last moments they could ever have together. In several hours, they'd be back home and life would return to normal. That was something he did not want.


	16. Chapter 16

Wednesday rolled around and Sasuke found himself staring off into space in his Chemistry class. His mind was wrapped around the past weekend. It was hard to believe that several days he was in Kirigakure, with Sakura, for one on the largest festivals in the world. It was a trip that he certainly never forget. He closed his eyes and envisioned the day they both left their hotel.

The day plane ride wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be, but that was because Sakura was sleeping most of the time. They were cuffed as usual, but the project was over. Sasuke wasn't sure why they were still attached, but he didn't mind staying that way. He preferred to stay close to his partner.

When they landed back to Konoha, Sasuke and Sakura's parents were waiting patiently for their children. Just before they revealed themselves, the Pinkette stopped in her tracks. "Thanks, Sasuke." She gave him a warm sincere smile, which sent the Uchiha's nerves in a wreck.

"No problem," he replied as casually as possible. "I'm glad that I agreed to tag along. I had so much fun."

Sakura unlocked the cuffs and they were both free at last. "I guess this is it, huh?"

"I guess so." Sasuke eyed the girl in front of her. "Just because you aren't next to me anymore doesn't mean you should become a stranger. We need to hang out again sometime."

She gazed down at her feet and pressed her lips into a feint upwards curve. "I'll think about it." With that hanging in the air, she paced ahead to the set of doors that separated the two from their parents. Sasuke followed closely behind her and that was it. Since then, the two had gone their separate ways and haven't heard from each other.

 _What does she mean by 'I'll think about it'?_ Truthfully, he was glad that he was stuck with Sakura for the project. Sasuke had learned that Sakura was more than just the girl with the headphones. She had a genuine personality that was different from the rest. So different, in fact, that he wanted to continue to discover what was still hidden from everyone else.

.

A piece of paper hung lifelessly on the door. The words, "Class Cancelled", along with class times and date, were printed in huge red bold letters. The Uchiha and various other classmates stood staring at the paper.

"What a drag. That's the second time already," Shikamaru yawned.

Sasuke turned to his friend. "When did he first cancel class?"

"Monday. He didn't even bother to send out an email. I wish he did though. I could be home taking a nap right now about now." As they chatted, a girl I pink hair walked up to the door. Like always, her earphones were glued to her ears. Sakura's eyes scanned the paper. Not long after, she turned and paced away in the opposite direction.

Sasuke caught up to her and gently tapped her shoulder to grab her attention. "You're acting like a stranger. That's cold."

"Whatever. Class is cancelled so there's no reason for me to be here. I'm not going to spend the rest of my afternoon at this dump."

An idea struck his brain. "Hey, Sakura? I was wondering if you wanted to join my friends and I for lunch. We'd love to have you." He was praying she would say yes, but there was a ninety-nine percent chance she would decline. It was worth a shot.

Sakura looked at the group of people standing around. She really wanted to join them, but she was intimidated by their presence. "I don't know… I don't want to intrude."

A blonde haired, blue eyed girl hugged the Pinkette. "Not at all! We'd love to have you over! It's not like we had a proper greeting the last time we met. How's your shoulder? Is it better?"

"Actually, it is! It's still a bit sore, but I was lucky that it wasn't anything serious," she responded. Hinata and the rest of the group joined in. They had friendly smiles on their faces, which put Sakura at ease. With all their begging and pleading, she had no choice but to give in to their requests.

"Yay! You can ride with me!" Ino pulled her new friend to the exit. "I want to hear everything that happened in Kiri. And by everything, I mean the juicy details as well." Ino winked and whispered loud enough for the two to hear. "I heard that someone lost the key."

"How do you know that?!"

Ino giggled. "A little birdy told me."

Sakura glared at her former partner. Her eyes formed the "I'm going to kill you" look.

Sasuke gulped and diverted his eyes to the ceiling. _My bad._

.

Everyone decided to head over to a nearby fast food joint near campus. Once they had gotten there, all of Sasuke's friends surrounded the Pinkette. They bombarded her with all sorts of questions such as where she was from and what Kiri was like. At first, the girl was a bit intimidated but warmed up to the excited group. Sasuke was surprised that Sakura could hold up a conversation with others.

Naruto thought that it would be clever to ask if the two had done anything together in the hotel. Sakura was confused by the sudden question, but she soon realized what he was hinting at. She was reminded of their little portable bathroom ordeal, which made her blush ever so lightly.

The girls saw her reaction. They all couldn't help but to smirk. Ino pulled her off to another table where they were going to hold a "girl talk". Sakura declined at the idea, but the other ladies joined in and managed to force Sakura into another seat.

"Hey dude. I've never seen our group so excited over someone before." Shikamru sipped on his soda as he eyed the Pinkette. He thought she was cool. Sakura was a down-to-earth type of girl, knew who to play soccer, and easy to get along with. For his friend Sasuke, it balanced out with his personality. "What's so special about her?"

The Uchiha had his eyes on his partner as well. The way her lips moved as words flowed intrigued him. Her hair was braided as always and her bright green eyes shone brightly as ever. Sakura Haruno was special. She was special to him. Looking back to their three-day trip, he realized that they had gotten closer than before. It was surprising how a college project could change his life so drastically in a short amount of time. Sasuke had always stared at the girl from afar, but to suddenly stay by her side for more than thirty-six plus hours changed his perspective. Of course, there were things he still didn't know about her, but he would have to discover them on his own. "I don't exactly know, but she's… something."

The Nara could tell his friend had acquired feelings. If it was Naruto or Kiba, Sasuke could lie easily and get away with it, but Shikamaru could read anyone like a book. He was majoring in Criminal Justice, so he had a knack for this sort of thing. "I can tell something happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Liar. You can't fool me."

Sasuke continued to stare at Sakura. She turned her head and their gazes met for a brief second. In that moment, the Uchiha smiled and the Pinkette returned the gesture by flashing him an innocent smile.

His heart dropped into his stomach.

"I trust you enough to keep a secret. I can't tell you all the details, but something did happen." Images of his partner sobbing uncontrollably flooded his vision. He tensed up for a quick second but realized that his mind was playing tricks.

"Sasuke, you better not become a Dad."

"It's not that you idiot," Sasuke stammered as his face flushed. "It's not like that!"

It wasn't every day that Shikamaru could joke around with his friend. Most of the time he was a serious guy and needed to be teased a bit. "I'm messing with you man. Listen, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. Naruto and the others as well. We are all here for you."

Naruto butt into the conversation. "Hey! We should invite her to our annual cookout session! It's coming up in about a month! What do you guys say?" The group of college aged men all nodded their heads in agreement. "All right! It's settled then! Let's make sure Sakura has the best weekend of her life!"

 _She's already had the best weekend of her life_ , the Uchiha thought.

.

Right after their lunch session, Sakura excused herself to leave for work. Soon after, Everyone headed back to campus and went their separate ways. Sasuke decided to go home and take the rest of the day off.

He played videogames for a bit but lost interest quickly. Deciding he needed to get his blood moving, Sasuke juggled the ball in his backyard for about a couple of hours. If there was one thing he loved the most, it was Soccer.

It all began when he saw Itachi play in one of his matches many years ago. Since then, Sasuke took upon himself to dominate the sport. In the back of his head, he wanted to surpass his older brother. Time progressed and he played throughout his Middle and High School years. It wasn't until his Junior year of High School that he decided Soccer was more recreational than professional. This was because of a major injury that was inflicted on his left knee.

During an important match, Kiba sent a through ball to Sasuke. It broke through their opponent's defense and the Uchiha made the break for it. He dribbled for about thirty yards before he took a shot. When he planted his foot and twisted his body, his foot was stuck in the ground. His whole being, expect his knee, rotated for the shot. At that moment, he heard a loud pop and collapsed to the floor, clutching his knee.

The Athletic Trainers rushed onto the field and immediately rushed him into the Training Room, where the Trainers began to treat the injured player. It didn't take them long to figure out that Sasuke had torn his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, also known as the ACL. An injury like that required surgery and heavy amounts of therapy.

The Uchiha's season was cut short. After receiving surgery, his road to recovery was brutal and extremely lengthy. He had spent nine months in Physical Therapy, where he told himself that he was going to make the comeback of his life. His team, along with his help, were going to win State, heck, even Nationals. But this wasn't the case.

The last year of High School was the worst season he had ever played. His knee brace restricted his movement and his opponents took advantage of that. They were dirty and ruthless, leaving Sasuke to hold back on his talent. He was afraid that he was going to reinjure himself again. Also, no matter how hard he tried to play, it never felt the same. His leg felt awkward and stiff. Frustrating as it was, College Soccer was not on his to-do list any longer. He still loved the sport with all his heart, but being a pro athlete was not his calling.

Out of nowhere, Itachi stood in his view. He was tall with long black hair. His older brother had his Mother's eyes but inherited his Dad's eye creases. Although Sasuke often called him ugly, he was a very good looking man. "What do you want, Itachi?"

"Nothing really. I was bored so I decided to see what was up with you. It's surprising to see you out here. You only do that when something is upsetting you." Sasuke was silent. "Come on, I'm your brother. You can talk to me about anything." Again, his younger brother's mouth was sealed as he continued to juggle the ball. He knew his brother held back on his emotions, but he was extremely obvious about his feelings. "I heard you got a girlfriend."

Sasuke pelted the ball towards his brother's face, but Itachi swiftly dodged. "She's not my girlfriend," the younger Uchiha growled.

"Ah, so it's girl trouble. I figured that much since I overheard Mom and Dad talking about her. It's Sakura, right?"

Fighting the urge to discuss personal matters, Sasuke ignored him, but failed after a couple of seconds later. "Yeah. Her name is Sakura Haruno. She's in one of my classes. She's pretty cool."

Itachi waited for more details but realized that his brother was quiet for about a minute. He raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You're not going to tell me more about her? I know that you went with her to that big music festival. Tell me, how was it?"

"It was really fun. I thought it was going to suck, but I ended up learning some cool things like Kandi and PLUR. I'm still confused by them, but it's whatever."

"Really? What about Sakura? How did she behave? What did she wear and how did she dance?"

Sasuke shoved his brother out of irritation. "Why are you asking so many questions you pervert?! Why do you want to know what she wore and all that? You have a girlfriend dude. I don't think she'd like you asking those types of questions."

Itachi laughed. "It's not like that! I love Izumi with all my heart! I simply just want to know who this Sakura girl is. I'm looking out for you, Sasuke. After what happened two years ago, I don't a repeat of that entire mess. I love you too much for you to go through that again.

Memories of those two years flashed all within seconds. The thoughts whirred so fast it began to make Sasuke feel nauseas. Itachi was right, but he was more mature than he was before. He was now able to take care himself. "I'm older than I was before. I think I'm capable of taking care of myself. If you want to get to know Sakura so bad, why don't we all go out for dinner or something?"

"That sounds perfect!" His older brother smiled and poked Sasuke's forehead. "Friday, it is the only day that works with my schedule. I'll make sure to tell Izumi about it. I think we're going to be best of friends." He waved and disappeared into the house.

 _That stupid rat. I can't believe I fall for his tricks so easily._

.

He stared into his blank text-message screen. Sasuke wasn't sure if his former partner was going to reply. Usually, he never gave any thought to his messages, however, this was Sakura. He never gave thought about sending texts to her, but this time, he was hesitant in doing so. It looked as if she wasn't the texting type of girl.

 _Hey, what's up?_ Sasuke pressed the send button and waited. He laid his phone down on his desk and stared at it. About ten seconds later, it dinged.

 _How's it going loser? I just left work. What's up with you?_

 _Nothing really. Where do you work?_

 _A shoe store at the mall. What about you?_

The conversation continued back and forth for a good ten or so minutes. They discussed about pointless things such as raves, school work, and jobs. The reason behind this was because Sasuke was stalling time for his real question. He was anxious about asking her to dinner at the end of the week. Their little chat lasted for another three minutes before he popped the question.

 _I was wondering… My brother invited me out for dinner on Friday. Do you want to join us?_ Sasuke hit send but quickly sent another text. _It's cool if you can't. I totally understand._

His phone was silent for a long while. Every minute that ticked by, Sasuke felt his stomach churning faster and faster. Regret took over his brain and he instant wished he never messaged her. The wait was killing him and he mentally, and physically, couldn't take it any longer. She was going to say no and he was certain of it.

 _You have a brother? I bet he's WAYYY nicer than you LOL! He's probably not ugly either._

Sasuke gripped his phone. "That little…" Before he could finish, his phone dinged.

 _Sounds like a plan! If it's before 9pm, I'm down. Where are we meeting?_

Instead of returning the message right away, the Uchiha set his phone down, laid face down on his bed, and took several deep breaths. He let out a heavy sigh and thought, SHE SAID YES. HOLY CRAP, as he slammed his hands into the sheets. After his little celebration, he reached for his phone and responded with all the details.

.

 _KNOCK. KNOCK._

"Come in!"

The door slowly creaked open and Itachi was staring into the eyes of his younger brother. "Hey. Well, uh, she said yes. I thought I'd let you know."

"Great! I can't wait to meet her!"

"Please don't do anything stupid or embarrassing," Sasuke pleaded. His brother was known for pulling jokes in front of others. Although he was serious most of the time, Itachi was rather unpredictable.

"I know, I know. I promise I won't this time. That day is extremely important to you. Calm down, we're going to have a good time and get to know each other." Itachi faced his laptop and continued where he left off before he was interrupted.

"Um, Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"I…" Sasuke bit his lower lip. Itachi glanced up and noticed a worry look on his face. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Always. Tell me what's been bothering you."

Sasuke entered his room and shut the door behind him.

 **A/N:**

 **Good luck to those who have finals! (Sorry for any errors).**


	17. Chapter 17

As students poured into the classroom, Iruka instructed everyone to sit with their respective partners. One by one, the students did as they were told.

Shikamaru and Temari, Lee and Marta, Naruto and Hinata, Neji and TenTen, Sai and Ino, and Choji and Karui.

Class had begun, but Sasuke's partner was nowhere to be found. The Uchiha tapped his fingers in an impatient manner. She was late. That was Sasuke's biggest pet peeve. He had always told himself that no matter what the situation was, whether it being a job interview or showing up to meet a friend, he was going to be minutes early. Sakura was the opposite. She was always about ten minutes late to anything and it pissed him off.

He had taken a seat next to the Pinkette's chair. He looked around at the other groups and couldn't help but to notice the unusal vibe in the air. Everyone changed. There was once a division between partners, but now, it seemed like they were all comfortable around each other.

Sasuke was too wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice his partner take a seat next to him. She looked as if she ran the race of her life. Her hair was in shambles and her cheeks were red. "It's about time," he quietly scoffed.

"Shut up," she snapped. She removed her headphones and stared all her focus to the professor.

Iruka cleared his throat and gazed at his nervous pupils. "I'm sure that everyone here enjoyed this project very much!" He waited for a response, but in return, received a plethora of death glares. "After Shino has given the summary of his speech, you are to return the cuffs. You'll receive your grade within the next several weeks. Now, please give your undivided attention to Mr. Aburame."

Shino made his way to the front of the class. "Right. It took me a long while to figure out why Professor here would put you through hell, but after days of pondering, I concluded this much. First, I believe one of the main reasons why you were partnered up with the opposite sex was to see how you all would react. It was also to test how you and your partner would overcome obstacles such as the restroom or having lunch. Secondly, I couldn't help but to notice how each group was paired. He stuck a loud mouth with a shy girl."

Naruto and Hinata.

"A kid who is obsessed with working out and a girl who hardly exercises."

Lee and Marta.

"A serious guy with a bubbly girl."

Neji with TenTen and Gaara with Matsuri.

"A smart lazy freak with a bossy girl."

Shikamaru and Temari.

"A guy who hardly has any emotion with a girl who is bursting with them."

Sai and Ino.

"A guy who pigs out too much and a girl who is angered by the slightest remark."

Choji and Karui.

"And finally, a popular social butterfly paired up with a girl who ignores what is around her."

Sasuke and Sakura.

Shino cleared his throat and took in a deep breath. He knew that after class he was most likely going to get the beating of his life, but he pushed that thought to the side and continued. "He clearly wanted you to view a different perspective of your partner. Whatever ideas you had in mind, whether them being assumptions or truths, Iruka wanted you to discover those hidden sides and personalities. Iruka wanted you to learn that not everyone is what you perceive them to be."

The class looked around at each other. Shino's words astonishingly made sense. The entire time, they believed that their teacher was a bully who wanted to see the class suffer, but they were wrong. He was one cheeky son of a gun.

"Those are my two cents on the project." Shino bowed and took his seat.

Everyone applauded him and one by one, partners began to turn in their assignments.

.

Everyone was dismissed from the class and there was one thing on Sasuke's mind and that was to catch up to his former partner. As always, her headphones were jammed into her ears. He gently tapped her shoulders to grab her attention. "So, are you ready for the beach in a couple weeks? Or did you decided to be a loser and skip?"

Sakura snorted at his remark. "As if. Ino had talked to me about it. I wasn't going to go, but somehow, she managed to talk to me into it." She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Frankly, I wasn't given much of a choice."

"Jeez nice to know that you were forced. You know, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

Sakura smiled. "Nah. I had decided that I was going. Besides," she gave the Uchiha a quick wink. "Just as Shino said, this project changed my viewpoint on how I think of you." She shoved her music back into her ears and waved goodbye. "It still didn't change the fact that you're lame. See you later tonight, Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't know how to react to the Pinkette's sudden flirty outburst. It was one of the few times, if not, the only time, Sakura had politely addressed him by his first name. Instead of trying to play his "Mr.-Cool-Guy" act, he walked to his car with rosy cheeks and an enormous smirk on his face.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Sorry for the sudden absence. I was overloaded with school and work.**


	18. Chapter 18

Instead of their typical fast food joint, Itachi decided that it was best to go for a more suitable restaurant for the occasion. It remained casual, but Sasuke wanted to dress a bit nicer than usual. He went through his wardrobe numerous times, but could not find a single outfit to wear. Frustration too over his body and he wanted to punch the wall with all his might.

He didn't understand why he had to impress the girl. Even she had said so herself, there was no need to show off. It was another thing that bugged him, but why was he so annoyed about the way he looked? It was Sakura Haruno for crying out loud! Of all people, she was the last person he should have been worrying about.

It suddenly hit Sasuke like a bullet train.

He tousled his hair in desperation and let out a puff of hot hair. _Of all girls, why her?_ He paced around his room nervously. _She's rude, sarcastic, eats like a sloppy cow, and parties way too much!_ Sakura's super immature. He stopped in his tracks and pondered deeper. _But she's carefree, funny, and isn't materialistic like the other girls. Plus, when she doesn't have a stick up her butt, Sakura actually has a pretty cool personality. And she's pretty too. Her smile is to die for and-_

"What the hell am I thinking?!" Sasuke slapped himself until he collected his thoughts. _I wonder what her problem back at MMF was._

He replayed those horrific scenes in his head. From the time she ran away from him in the festival to her sudden PTSD like attack in their hotel room, his mind was still unable to grasp the incident. There was only one person he had mentioned this to, but he was skeptical that he knew what to do as well.

It must have been the past relationship Sakura had talked about weeks ago. What was weird to him was the fact that after her meltdown, she acted as if nothing happened. How was she able to push her nightmares to the side so easily? It wasn't an issue to be taken lightly. Sasuke wanted to ask her but feared that she was going to snap at him.

"Sasuke! I'm going to leave without you!"

"All right!" He called out as he chose a shirt and a random pair of jeans. He stumbled out of his door and joined his older brother for the date.

.

Itachi, Izumi, and Sasuke eagerly paced themselves to the front doors of their destination. Their onyx colored orbs suddenly noticed a Pinkette sitting on a bench. Her eyes lit up when she caught a glance of the youngest member. "Hey!" she began rather cheery. "I thought I was going to get stood up!"

"Sakura, this is my older brother-" Sasuke was interrupted by the girl.

"HEY, I KNOW YOU GUYS! HOW'S IT GOING?!"

Izumi shrieked with joy as she hugged Sakura. "GIRL, OH MY GOSH! What a small world! I can't believe that we're meeting for once outside of LiveWire!"

"Wow. When he said her name was Sakura, I would have never guessed it would be you!" Itachi gave the Pinkette a warm and friendly hug. "I was a bit worried who my brother was hanging out with. Now I can finally relax."

The conversation between the three carried on for several minutes, leaving Sasuke out of the group. He was positive that he missed something. "Do you guys know each other?"

Sakura turned to him and flashed him her signature smile. "Yeah! I met Itachi and Izumi numerous times at LiveWire. We've talked and raved together for about a year now. Now that I see you two together, how did I miss the fact you two were brothers?! You both are Uchiha's and look practically identical!"

Again, the conversation escalated without Sasuke. He had already become the third wheel of the group. Irritated as he was, he stomped towards the restaurant and swung the door open. "Everyone is here, so let's eat!"

.

Throughout the entirety of dinner, Itachi, Izumi, and Sakura rambled on and on about MMF and other senseless things the youngest Uchiha did not care for. It still blew his mind that Sakura knew his older brother and his girlfriend.

Sakura abruptly changed the conversation. "Hey guys, what are you doing tonight?"

Itachi glanced at his beautiful girlfriend. Izumi grinned. "If you're thinking about what I'm thinking, then I guess we have no choice!"

Sakura smiled. "Do you think Kisame will be there?"

"Kisame has been working all week, so I think he'll be too exhausted to go. As for the others, I know they are going. I'll text them and see what's up," Itachi replied.

Sasuke looked around the table in a confused manner. "You know Kisame?! Where are you all going? What's this LiveWire?"

"LiveWire is a place where everyone goes to rave. It's exactly like a club, but with Electronic Dance Music. Sometimes they're local Djs play or world famous ones. It all depends who they book." Izumi sipped on her glass of water before she continued. "So, what do you say, want to come along?"

"Count me out."

Sakura curled her fists in frustration and let out a forced sigh. "Come on! Don't be a party pooper! I'll introduce you to some amazing people!"

"We literally just got back from Kiri! How are you not fed up with raving?!"

The Pinkette stretched her arms up to the sky. "Why do you always play soccer?"

"Because it's fun," he retorted.

"There you go. Look, you don't have to come. You coming with me to Kiri was more than enough, so thank you for that. It would have been pretty awesome if you did tag along because I have an extra ticket and LiveWire is much different from the festival." Sakura pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. "I'll just have to message one of my friends to see if they're down."

Sasuke remembered the list of guys she had mentioned long ago before they had left to Kiri. He was falling into the trap once again. His mind was saying no, but his heart was screaming yes. "That won't be necessary," she sighed in defeat. "I'll go, but only if you agree to play soccer with me sometime."

In a heartbeat, Sakura responded with a shrilly, "Yes!"

Itachi smiled and rose from the table. "We still have plenty of time before we head out to the club. Let's go back home and chill for a little while longer. Care to join us, Sakura?"

.

As they arrived they arrived to the club, Sasuke noticed that ravers were dressed almost the same as the ones back at MMF, but their clothes were a bit less revealing. It surprised him, but not as much as before. When they made their way past the front gates, the crowd turned and greeted Itachi, Izumi, and Sakura with a loud, "AYEE!" People held their alcoholic beverages into the air and cheered.

"Hey Pinky! It's good to see you!" A guy with a high blonde ponytail called out to Sakura. He rushed over and embraced her. This sudden action irritated Sasuke to the bone. He didn't know who he was, but he already didn't like him. "Where were you?! The crew missed you!"

"I went to MMF," Sakura responded. "Let me introduce you to the guy I went with. Sasuke, this is my good friend, Deidara. Deidara, this is Sasuke, my classmate and the guy I told you about."

Sasuke reached out and firmly shook the blonde's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Not long after the introduction with Deidara, several other strangers crowded around the three of them. Sasuke assumed that they were her friends since they began to joke around with each other. "Hey, who is this dude? You went to the festival and got yourself a man?" One of them questioned.

Sakura snorted then laughed. "As if! Guys, this is Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi's younger brother. Sasuke, this is the rest of my rave crew. We have Konan, Yahiko, Nagato, and Hidan. We're just missing one more that's-"

"Kisame?" Sasuke guessed. "I know him. He's come over to my house a lot. He and my older brother are practically best friends."

The group of her friends huddled around the Pinkette and the raven haired Uchiha. They all began to interrogate Sasuke with endless questions and death glares. Doing the best he could, Sasuke answered them with confidence.

Sasuke looked at his cell phone.

12:00 AM.

It was midnight and they had yet to join the crowd. He heard the music going on inside of the club, since they were hanging outside in the patio, but he wondered when they were going to head in. "Hey, who's playing tonight?"

Yahiko was the first to answer. "Atmozfears. Are you a fan of Hardstyle?"

"Hardstyle?"

Hidan slapped his own face in disappointment and muttered several nasty curse words. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU WENT TO MEGA MUSIC FESTIVAL AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HARDTYLE IS?! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO-"

Sakura stepped in and defended her once partner. "Relax Hidan. Sasuke is new to the rave scene. His first ever rave was MMF. Cut him some slack." She swiveled to meet Sasuke's eyes. "Hardstyle is like hard techno. It consists of deep and heavy kick drum sounds. That's what usually gives it away. Remember HeadHunterz? Well, he's an example."

The look on the Uchiha's face was priceless. He had no idea what she was talking about, but tried to connect with her. "Yeah, I kind of remember. So it's like dubstep?"

"No," Nagato butt in. "Dubstep has more distorted heavy bass and sounds like everything is all over the place. Imagine sticking a fork in the sink's garbage disposal and flipping the switch. That's kind of like dubstep."

Sakura high fived Nagato. "Nice analogy dude! It's almost time to head in. Are you guys ready to turn up?!"

"HELL YEAH!" The group cheered loudly and made their way in LiveWire.

Sasuke felt his body being pulled backwards. At first, he thought that a drunk guy tried to pick a fight with him, but he caught a glimpse of his brother's face. "You okay?" Itachi questioned.

Sasuke gazed at his older brother and Izumi. "Yes, I'm alright. It's just so surprising to see Sakura so... so..."

"Social?" Itachi asked. "When I first met her, she was extremely quiet and reserved. She had tagged along with some friends, but never said a word to anyone else. It wasn't until I had introduced her to Deidara and Kisame that she began breaking out of her shell."

"How'd that go?"

"Easy to be honest. She loves the music so much that it was easy to get close to her. Haven't you noticed? When she's partying, she's in her own carefree and flawless world."

Memories of the festival popped into his head. There was so much truth behind Itachi's words. Spending time with the Pinkette had taught him that music played an important part of her life. No matter where she was, school or a festival, Sakura was constantly listening to music. "Now that you mention it, she does have a thing for music. Another question. Is she sober when she raves?"

"Always. Sakura claims that if you need to drink or take drugs to rave, then you shouldn't be raving. Of course, that's her opinion, but most of the group drinks. Surprisingly, this doesn't seem to bother her as long as you don't pressure her."

"Do guys hit on her?"

"Here and there."

"Does she hook up with them?"

"Knowing her, probably not."

"Does-"

Izumi brought her hand up to signal for Sasuke to hush. "Calm down, Romeo. Sakura wouldn't do any of those things. I know it's hard to believe, but she wouldn't and will not fall for drugs, boys, or anything that would harm her health or well-being. The only drug that she takes is music. Sakura is the high on life type of gal."

Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Ah, sorry. It's just... I'm worried about her. You know... After what happened..."

"She's a strong girl," Itachi interrupted as he poked his younger brother's forehead. "She's a strong girl so she'll be fine. She has a rave family that loves and protects her as if she were the youngest sibling. Izumi and I both can agree to this."

A flash of pink appeared before Sasuke. "Hey! Let's go! Atomzfears is going to play any minute now! You can't miss the opening! Hurry!" Sakura gripped Sasuke's hand and pulled him into the venue.

Izumi laced her fingers through her boyfriend's. "You think he likes her?"

The oldest Uchiha shook his head. "No, I don't think he does." He turned to his girl and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I know that he loves her. He just hasn't figured it out yet."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Omg. It's been too long since I posted xD I recently just finished this story, so I'm going to post the rest of it as soon as I can :P**


	19. Chapter 19

The Uchiha rolled around in his bed groaning in pain. All the muscles in his body ached and his eye lids weighed heavy with drowsiness. Why was he feeling like this? Oh that's right... Last night, he went raving with Sakura and the others. It was a blur, but to be honest, Sasuke enjoyed the show at LiveWire. It was way more intimate that the festival in Kiri, but the crowd was as rowdy as ever.

By attending last nights party, he met another one of Sakura's hidden sides. It continued to amaze him how he was learning about her in such a short amount of time. Usually, it would take about several months to really get to know a person, but with the Pinkette, it took no more than a month. Sakura was crazy in Kiri, but after seeing her yesterday, it proved that she was flat out wild. Sakura Haruno was a certified party animal.

Most people at clubs would sway their bodies side to side or simply move to the beat and dance in one place, but not Sakura. The Pinkette was all over the dance floor, standing in one spot for no more than a minute. Out of fear, Sasuke trailed behind her closely in case some strange or creepy guy tried to snatch her up.

The young man also learned that his partner was more of a social butterfly than he thought. While she was dancing and prancing around in the club, she got everyone into the hype of the music. Her vibes were infectious, electrifying anyone she came near. Sasuke himself was not much of a dancer, but somehow being around Sakura, he found himself moving to the beat. Again, the more time he spent with her, the more he was attracted to her.

After the last twenty or so minutes of the concert, the Pinkette joined the rest of her group and partied the night away. At one point, Deidara and Sakura found themselves in a shuffling battle, while the others formed a circle around them and cheered for their favorite dancer.

The rave ended and the crowd began to disperse out of the room. Sasuke turned to Sakura but only to find her missing. Frantically, with his eyes, Sasuke searched for a girl in bright pink hair and black hair. His older brother noticed him and reminded him that it was okay. Knowing how trustworthy Itachi was, he nodded nervously.

Fifteen minutes later, Sakura returned to the group with a ginormous smile on her face. It turned out that she, and Izumi, had snagged a photo and a signature with the artist. The girls fawned over the guy as if he were some sort of god. The boys, however, sneered with slight irritation. Despite all this, Sasuke was happy that Sakura had enjoyed herself.

This was one of the few times, if not the first, he had seen her this joyful in his life. If this is what it took to keep her happy, then it would be his mission to keep her that way.

.

Sasuke and several others, including Sakura, all hopped out of Shikamaru's car. Ino pulled in behind him and everyone else exited from the vehicle. Today was the day Ino had planned their yearly trip to the beach. It was an annual get together Ino and a few others decided to hold as a sign of their undying friendship. This year, she invited new people along. Sakura, TenTen, Karui, Temari, Tamaki, Marta, and Sai were all included in the gathering.

Naruto ran out the car and sprinted to the beach house. "LAST ONE TO THE HOUSE IS A ROTTEN EGG," he yelled out to the others.

Kiba, on instinct, chased closely behind. "NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!"

"WITH THE POWER OF YOUTH, I AM GOING TO CRUSH YOU BOTH," Lee screamed out as he pumped his arms as fast as he could.

"Idiots," A certain Uchiha walked over to the trunk of Shikamaru's car and stretched his legs to ease the soreness in his legs. Throughout the majority of the road trip, Sasuke was beginning to regret going to the club with his brother, but remembering seeing how happy Sakura was instantly made it worth it.

"Are you okay there?" A voice called out from behind. "Did you party too hard last night?"

"Ha. Ha. That's very funny," Sasuke replied sarcastically. "How do you even do this every weekend? I only got about three hours of sleep and my body is extremely sore. How are you even alive?"

The petite figure shrugged her shoulders. "It takes practice."

"Practice my butt, you party too much, Ms. Party Animal. Anyways, don't worry about the baggage. Leave it to Naruto."

The Pinkette smiled and began to unload the trunk of their items. "It gets to you at first, but you get use to it soon enough. And you know well Naruto isn't going to help." She saw the Uchiha reach for a bag, but she took it from him and swung it over her shoulder. "Don't worry about these bags, I wouldn't want you to pull a muscle, Mr. Party Animal." Sakura gave him a small flirty wink and paced off to the house.

Sasuke gazed at Sakura, with slight rosy cheeks, as she wandered off into the home. He couldn't help but to wonder what their relationship was. Ever since that night at MMF, there had been this tension that lingered around each other. One day she was distant but flirting the next. It was apparent that both college students had feelings for each other, but Sakura was sending mixed signals to the Uchiha. It made him a bit impatient and wanted to talk to her about it, but it was best if he just waited a bit longer.

A soft hand rested of Sasuke's shoulder. The gesture startled him, which made him slightly jump in place. "Close your mouth Sasuke. Drool is dripping from your mouth."

"Shut up Ino."

"Have you guys made any progress?! The semester is coming to an end and I haven't seen anything going on from you too."

"Hn. It's not like that." Sasuke looked over and Ino raised an eyebrow. He sighed, "Whatever. She's impossible. I just can't quite figure out her out. She's shooting me these weird signals."

"Don't worry, neither one of us can, but worrying won't help. She's like an egg. Sakura's bound to break. Only, instead of being a chicken egg, she's more of an ostrich egg," the blonde responded. "If she doesn't break, then she'll slowly hatch. " Ino reached into the trunk, grabbed a few items, and walked off. "In due time Sasuke. In due time."

Sasuke grabbed the remaining bags and scoffed, "Girls make no sense."

.

After everyone settled down and unpacked their things, they decided to take a stroll around the beach. Naruto, Kiba, and a few others took a quick dip into the ocean while the rest of the crew sat in the sand and watched their friends from afar. It was a beautiful day and letting it go to waste would be a sin.

The group held a small but entertaining conversation. Talking about their desired College Majors to their favorite hobbies, they had nearly discussed every point there was. Out of the blue, Ino brought up the topic of love. Worried about Sakura, Sasuke desperately attempted to change the topic, but the blonde didn't budge.

"So... Sakura? Have you ever had a boyfriend? Or are you dating someone?" Ino asked bluntly. The Uchiha shot her a look but was ignored.

"Actually, no. I'm not dating anyone right now. I've had a boyfriend though. We broke up about a year ago."

"How long did you guys last?"

"About two to three years. We dated around the time I was a Junior in high school. He was older by about a year and a half so it wasn't too bad." The Pinkette stuck her finger in the sand and began to draw random figures.

Oh no.

Sasuke shot her another look when the Pinkette's gazed away from the group. Ino simply mouthed the words, _We're getting to know her._

He mouthed, _Stop_ , back but she responded by rolling her eyes.

"If you don't mind," TenTen butted in innocently. "What was he like? And why did you guys break up?"

This was bad. Sasuke knew if the conversation were to continue, nothing good was going to come. At this point, it was too late to divert the talk because Sakura began to move her mouth. He embraced for the worst.

"Well," Sakura began as she stopped doodling in the sand. "He was super handsome and just about as tall as I was. He had short red, scruffy hair that fell just above his mysterious eyes and he also had this dark intoxicating voice." She began to fan girl and the girls instinctively began to follow her lead. "But you know, when things just don't work out, no matter how hard to try to fix things, you have no choice but to call it off. That's what I did and I've been solo since."

TenTen reached out and grabbed Sakura's hand. "I'm really sorry-"

"It's okay really! We were just not right for each other and it was for the best. If you ask me, I was beginning to miss the single life!" Sakura laughed. "It's what I say, I'm single, not ready to mingle."

Ino, TenTen, Tamaki, and Neji broke out into laughter, however, Sasuke did not.

.

By the time the clock struck nine o'clock in the evening, the group of students began to prepare dinner. Choji made a request to cook barbecue and to his luck, everyone was in the mood.

Kinda and Naruto took the liberty to buy alcohol, Shikamaru, Choji, and Neji pitched in to buy the meat, and everyone else began to cook side dishes and set up the table. All the young men drank by the grill and the girls gossiped about whatever came to mind. Once in a while, Ino or Hinata would drop by to see how the guys were doing, and vice versa. Lee or Sasuke would poke their heads inside the house to check up on the ladies.

For the Uchiha, it was more about seeing if Sakura was enjoying her self, which it seemed like she was. It just seemed extremely odd to him how she responded to TenTen's question. He knew how she really felt towards her ex but brushed it off like it was nothing. Of course, she had just met the group so opening up to them was out of the question but still. Her response was too happy and chill. Maybe he was reading too much into it. It was better to let it go for now.

When the meat was finally finished cooking, everyone joined into the house and began to dig into their meals. Since there was only one table available, people began to take seats around the living room and kitchen.

Just as they were going to chow down, there was a heavy knock on the door. Ino offered to open the door, but Shikamaru thought it would be best if he did it instead. He swung the door open and three tall guys stood harmlessly at the door. One had dark brown hair, dirty blonde hair, and black hair. They all wore the same generic frat outfit: colorful muscle shirt, swim trunks, and a pair of flip flops. Not to mention, these dudes has some serious muscles going on. One of the guys, however was wearing a read cap. "Can I help you?" The Nara questioned politely.

The blonde guy spoke first. "We're your neighbors next door and we were wondering if you wanted to join us tomorrow night for a party we're throwing."

The Nara yawned. "You do realize that there are a bunch of us, right?"

The guy in black hair replied. "Yeah! We saw you guys pulling in earlier this afternoon. It's cool you guys. The more, the better."

"Thanks for the invite but-"

Naruto jumped to his feet. "Hell yeah I'm down! That's why were here! We came to party, believe it!"

"Yeah, I'm with Naruto you guys," Kiba exclaimed in agreement.

Slowly, one by one, they all began to agree with the idea of partying with their neighbors. Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Neji were against the idea, but there was nothing to be said at this point. Majority ruled so they gave in. "We'll be sure to be there. Thanks." He shut the door and sighed forcefully. "What a drag. We were supposed to party within ourselves."

"Relax will you, you bum." Temari retorted playfully. "We're here to have a good time. If that means meeting new people, then so be it."

A knock sounded on the door and Shikamaru opened the door back up. He noticed that it was the guy with brown hair, who was wearing the red cap and that hadn't said a word. "What can I do for you?"

"Well," he choked nervously. He looked up and his eyes met a certain Pinkette's beautiful jaded orbs. "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second."

Sakura hesitated for a moment but stood. "S-Sure." She walked to the door where the guy was but felt her body coming to a halt. She looked back and Sasuke was securely holding her wrist. "What the hell?"

The Uchiha shook his head. "No. If you have something to say, say it to her here. We don't know who you are and I don't trust you. No hard feelings."

The guy stood awkwardly. He couldn't help but to scratch his head and give a nervous giggle." Of c-course. S-Sorry." He cleared his throat and turned to the Pinkette. "Look, I noticed you earlier and couldn't help but to think how beautiful you are. I just want to personally invite you to the party. I really hope you can make it cause it would suck if you weren't there. Unless...," He looked over her shoulder and quickly looked at Sasuke. "Unless if he's your boyfriend. That's cool too..."

Dumfounded, Sakura stood there awkwardly. She blushed and smiled. "Oh. No, he's not my boyfriend."

Sasuke's heart felt as if an arrow with the sign, " _Friendzone_ " struck him.

"MAN DOWN. MAN DOWN," Naruto, Kiba, and Shino giggled.

Sasuke shot them a menacing look and they settled down.

"Anyways, yeah! I'll definitely be there!"

The guy smiled cheekily and enthusiastically responded, "Cool! See you then!" He waved and met up with his pals, who were both waiting at the end of the driveway. They gave him a high five and hooted and hollered for his friend.

Shikamaru once again closed the door. Sakura turned around and the first thing she saw was Sasuke glaring at her with eyes of rage.


	20. Chapter 20

After the subtle confession, dinner was extremely awkward between Sasuke and Sakura. The two sat in silence while everyone held small conversations amongst each other. It got to the point where Sasuke decided to chug a few beers to numb the pain in his chest. Sakura tried to talk to him, but all he did was ignore her. Eventually, he rose from the couch and moved elsewhere.

Naruto began to tell stories of his childhood. He was an orphan for a good portion of his life until he was adopted by a man named Jiraya and his wife Tsunade. He had a difficult time making friends and was bullied the majority of the time. One day, he came across Shikamaru and his life changed.

Everyone started to pitch in on their own life stories. Lee was considered a loser, Neji was once a stuck up rich kid, Sasuke was an emo freak, Hinata and Shino were weird, Ino was once called a slut, Kiba was a dog freak, Choji was called fat, and Shikamaru was given crap about his lack of motivation. They all had their differences, yet, they all became good friends.

Sakura admired how much close the group was. Despite how different each one of them were, they loved one another as if they were family. "Um, guys?" The squad hushed and listened attentively. "This is super random and I'm not one to do this, but I wanted to thank you guys. You know, for inviting me to be with you all. I might sound like a loser and all, but this is the first time I do something like this with other people."

Hinata threw her arms around the Pinkette and embraced her closely. "Of course Sakura! You're a part of the group now. We love and care about you. That's what friends are for."

Ino glanced up at Sasuke and gave him a wink.

He knew what she was telling him.

She's breaking out of her shell.

Sasuke responded with a slight smile. He was still pissed about the whole personal party invitation, but right now, it was a heartfelt moment. After being around Sakura for several months, he learned moments like this will never occur again.

Kiba got to his feet and downed the rest of his alcohol. "Alright you guys. It's barely midnight and the party is just getting started!" He pulled out a bag of what seemed like fireworks and handed Naruto a set of roman candles. "While we were buying the booze, Naruto and I took the liberty to buy these bad boys on the way home."

The two near drunk college men, as well as several others, rushed out if the house and began to shoot the fireworks into the night sky. Naruto thought it would be hilarious to aim them towards Kiba. To defend himself, Kiba decided to aimed one at Naruto. Within the next minute, chaos ensued.

Tiny balls of flame were being shot all over the place, nearly burning off their friends faces. Shino and Choji tried to calm the two drunks but ended getting hit in the process. As angry as they were, they began to brawl with the boys. One by one, Lee, Neji, and the rest of the guys tried to pry each other off. While this was happening, the ladies sat back and laughed at the situation.

Finally after getting the group to calm down, everyone began to head off to their bedrooms. It was still rather early for them, but since they traveled over five hours from Konoha, the crew was exhausted. They still had about another two days to enjoy their time at the beach so sleep was essential. They were going to need all the rest they could get.

Sasuke was one of the last people to head off to bed. His head was buzzing from all the beer he drank. He didn't remember how much he drank, but one thing was for sure, he was going to feel it in the morning. Making it his duty to keep everyone safe, he checked up on all the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. As he finally reached the front door, there was a figure sitting not too far from the house in the sand.

Thinking it was the guy in the cap that was staying next door, he rushed out cautiously and began to yell. "Hey! Do you mind-" Suddenly he caught a glimpse of the color pink from the person's hair. "Oh. It's you. Something the matter?"

Sakura tensed. Realizing who it was, she relaxed her shoulders. "Oh. It's only you. Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed some fresh air."

"You been drinking?"

"Nope, but I know you have. Damn dude, you drank like seven beers. Are you going to be good?"

Sasuke laughed. "This is nothing. I was much worse back then. Don't worry about me."

The two stayed silently for a good ten minutes. The ocean's breeze cooled off their skins. Every so often they could feel the mist hit them in the face. If they could remember correctly, this was almost the same moment they shared back in Kiri. Oh how Sasuke wanted to go back to that time. It was much more pleasant than now.

This was the perfect moment. The Uchiha had to be honest with her for once. "Hey. What was all that about with the dude?"

Sakura glanced up at him. "I don't know. How was I supposed to know he was going to do that."

"You act like you know him."

"I've never seen him before in my life."

"You like him?"

"No."

"You sure about that? You looked pretty red back there in the house."

Sakura shot him a menacing look. "What's your deal?! I said no. Like I said, I've never seen that dude before in my life!"

"Well, you were about to walk away with him. Dear Kami Sakura, you can't just be meeting up with random guys. You don't know what he's capable of. He could of have done something to you." He paused and eyed the Pinkette. "Unless if that's what you wanted him to do."

In a heartbeat Sakura rose to her feet and began to raise her voice in defense. "Wait. Are you insinuating that I'm some sort of whore?! Are you being serious right now?!"

"I'm not insinuating nothing. All I'm saying is that back at LiveWire, you were rubbing up all over that blonde guy. Deidara was it? Yeah. You seemed a bit too friendly with him." Sasuke rose to his feet and dusted himself off. "I mean, if you guys do that kind of thing, cool. I'd rather not know, but you act like you've been around and I'd rather you not rub up on my friends-"

"Shut the f*** up." Sakura curled her fists and fought back her tears.

It was at that moment, he knew he messed up. Sasuke stood there appalled. Honestly, he didn't mean to say those things to her. The filter on his mouth was off due to amount of beer in his system. It was basically controlling him. "What?"

"Don't talk to me."

"Oh great! You're going to push me away and not talk to me? Is that what you're going to do now? Way to be an adult." Sasuke closed his eyes in up most regret. Why was he saying all these things now. Maybe it was a bad idea to drink. It was too late because the damage had been done.

"What? I don't get what you mean?"

"You try to hide your true feelings around people close to you. Sometimes it's just best to open up. Dammit Sakura, I know the other side of you. I've seen your dark side. You're still broken about your Ex, Sakura. Why can't you just rely on me, or even Ino, when you're in pain?!"

She froze in place. "I still don't understand-"

At this point, Sasuke was frustrated. "Look, I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. I know that you put on this big girl act. You-"

"Can you just shut up for once? You act like you know me. Sure, you've seen my dark side and you may know what happened between me and my Ex, but you don't the full extent of what I went through, so I suggest you shut your mouth. Last time I checked you aren't my boyfriend."

 _This again?_ The Uchiha laughed and looked up to the sky. "Oh yeah, that's right, I'm not. Why don't you run off to that guy that confessed to you and ask him for help. It's not like I wanted you anyways."

He wished he never had said that.

The two college students stood watching each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. Sakura was the first to break the ice. She smiled, giggled to herself, and shook her head. "I knew you were jealous, but damn. That was too far." She brushed past him and Sasuke noticed a tear falling from her eye. "See, this is one of the reasons why I left him. I'm not going to go through this again, not with you. Later."

Sasuke turned and called to her. "WAIT! I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T-"

"Whatever. Screw off already." She disappeared into the house.

 _Son of a..._ Sasuke thought as he grabbed his head. _This is why I don't drink anymore. I done goofed up._

.

A little over half the group woke up with a major hangover. Luckily, no one was throwing up, but they were feeling a bit nauseated. Naruto and Kiba were hit the hardest as they didn't wake up until around four o' clock in the afternoon. Sasuke had woke around the same time as Choji and Sai, which was around noon time. Most people were up at this time so there was food prepared on the table.

Everyone ate at their own pace. Karui, Temari, and Tamaki were sitting patiently on the couch. Marta, Lee, and TenTen were sitting on the floor near the coffee table and everyone else was in the kitchen. Sasuke searched around the place for Sakura but hadn't spotted her.

"If you're looking for Sakura, she's in the bathroom taking a shower," Ino interrupted. "Hey. Can I ask you something? Did something happen between you and Sakura last night?"

Sasuke gulped. Had she mentioned something to Ino? "No, why? Is she alright?"

"Not sure. She's not acting like her usual self. She's been distant this morning. I knew you were with her last night so I figured it had to do with you."

He shook his quickly and nervously laughed. "Hah... I don't know anything. Maybe she had some sort of nightmare. I'll talk to her about it."

"You sure?" I can-"

"No!" he yelled out loud, making everyone glnace at him. "Sorry about that. Yeah, I'm sure."

"Suit yourself," Ino left him to be.

Just as he left, Sakura came up behind him. It looked like he hadn't slept because the bags under her eyes were unnaturally dark. Her eyes appeared to be glazed over from what could have been the crying she did last night. A pang of guilt shot through his veins. He made eye contact with the Pinkette. He smiled. "Good morning." Instead of a response, all he received was pursed lips and a glare.

 _Great_ , he pondered as he served himself food. _This is going to be such a fantastic trip._

.

 **Later that Evening**

The squad made their way over to their neighbors beach house. Before they had even left their house, the neighbors were already blasting party music and there was a crap ton of people walking through the beach.

Upon arriving, they noticed it was an extremely causal party. Most people were in shorts, tank tops, and flip flops. The food wasn't fancy either. On top of the table, there was hundreds of boxes of pizza stacked on top one another. Off to the side of that, there were thousands of bottles of alcohol lined up ready to be drunk by college students. From Grey Goose to Tequila, this party had it all.

About an hour in, the place was packed with young adults. Everyone was having a great time. Well, everyone except one person.

The raven haired Uchiha stood away from the crowd of people. Every here and there a tipsy girl attempted to hit on him but he only politely declined. Sometimes he'd have to move away to free himself. He was one of the few who thought it was a bad idea to attend this party. From his experiences, house parties never ended on a good note, even if you thought they did, they didn't.

On occasion, he'd look up and noticed Sakura talking to the dude in the red cap. He looked seriously interested in her. She had her usual grin plastered on her face.

 _Tch_. He looked away in disgust. _If she wants to be like that, fine. I'm not going to look out for her. She's a grown woman. She can look after herself._ Once again, his onyx orbs made their way up to the Pinkette.

There was this strange feeling in the air. As much as he tried to push her out of this thoughts, it never seemed to work. _Whatever,_ he thought. He pulled out his cellphone and began to check up on his social media. After a good five or so minutes, he looked up.

Sakura and that guy were gone.

"Eh. Not my problem." He went back to his phone. Immediately, there was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "Don't do it," he told himself. "She's fine. Don't worry... Sakura can manage on her own... Don't worry... Ah... screw it." Sasuke slid his phone into his pocket and paced around the house in search for a pink haired young woman.

 _Dammit Sakura. I always have to be looking out for you._

He lapped the entire building three times and nothing. He even checked in the bedrooms upstairs and they were empty. Sasuke was beginning to panic a bit. He should have never let her out of his sight. Dear Kami, why did they have to fight yesterday? This wouldn't be happening right now if they didn't.

Not long after, he came across a door that was secluded from the others and was barely cracked open. There were three familiar guys, including the capped one, surrounded a pool table. Sakura was standing with a pool cue near the table. It looked as if she was waiting for her turn to play. He continued to watch and it appeared to be harmless at first. They laughed, took turns playing, and shared little stories.

Suddenly, while Sakura was concentrating on pocketing her ball, one guy looked towards the capped guy. He nodded towards him and he nodded back in confirmation.

Huh.

"Hey, Sakura. You want me to get you something to drink?"

"Oh sure! Water is fine, Thank you Jeremy," she replied as her focus never broke from the table.

 _So his name was Jeremy. That's good to know._ Sasuke looked up and noticed that Jeremy was coming towards his way. As a desperate act, he hid himself behind a door that was nearby. As soon as he closed it, he noticed a couple, laying down on a bed, being VERY intimate with each other.

"Sorry," he whispered as he closed his eyes. "It'll only be like five seconds. I'm so sorry. IM SO SORRY." He did as he said. He counted to five and rushed out. _Sheesh. I can never get a break._

Sasuke trailed behind Jeremy into the kitchen. He distanced far enough to see what he was doing. It was still harmless. Jeremy held two red cups in his hand and poured vodka into each one. _Weird, Sakura asked for water._ The next thing he saw boiled his blood.

The capped guy reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a bottle of medication. Sasuke watched as he popped the lid off, took out two pills, and plopped them into one of the cups. He stuck his finger in and swished it around long enough for them to dissolve into the solvent.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he just saw. He knew from the beginning that it was a terrible idea from the start. This was all the confirmation he needed. Sasuke fixed his hair and casually walked into the kitchen and pretended to pour himself a drink.

"Oh hey dude. What's up," Jeremy asked as he tried to act normal. "Looking for booze? There's more in the fridge."

"Hn, thanks." Sasuke made his way over to refrigerator. His eyes never left the guy.

"You sure Sakura isn't your girl? I mean, you look like you'd be her boyfriend."

"Hn."

Jeremy laughed. "That's a shame dude. Sorry you couldn't make it out of the Friendzone. I hope you don't mind, but I really want her to be my girl."

Ouch. There goes that word again. Sasuke pulled a water bottle out from the fridge and walked over to where the untrustworthy guy was standing. "Congrats bro. Hey I know what. Let's toast. You know, like a congratulatory type of thing." Sasuke reached over and gripped the red cup of pure vodka.

"Wai-" Jeremy was cut off by Sasuke.

"A toast for making it out of the Friendzone!" Sasuke raised his cup and drank the putrid clear liquid. He let out a groan as he finished chugging his drink. "Aren't you going to drink dude?"

Jeremy shot Sasuke a dirty look. Sasuke returned the favor.

"Oh, that's right." Sasuke brought up the water bottle and sat it down next to the spiked vodka. "Sakura asked for water, not to be raped." With that, he left Jeremy in the kitchen, who was staring aimlessly into the unpure drink.

.

Sasuke burst through the door. Now that he got a better look at them, it was the same two guys who invited them to the party. "Hey! What's up dude," one of them called out to him.

Sakura looked up and shot him a look. Sasuke didn't care what she did to him. He was not going to leave her all alone, better yet, he was going to get her out of this place. Without warning, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her towards the exit.

Sakura growled as she pulled back. "What the hell are you doing?! Leave me-"

"No. We're leaving. It's not safe for you to be here," Sasuke hissed back.

"Leave me alone Sasuke! I'm not leaving!" She shouted.

"Woah, woah, woah! If the lady says no, then it's no." The guys jumped to Sakura's defense, but Sasuke whipped her around so that she was behind him.

"I could be telling you and your friend the same thing right now."

The guys cocked their head and sneered. "We don't know-"

"That Jeremy guy, he's a great guy," the Uchiha snorted sarcastically. "You know, he tried to spike Sakura's drink. If she had taken a sip from that, would no still be a no?"

Busted.

"Lets' go Sakura." Both students exited the house. On the way out, he spotted Temari, Shiakmaru and Hinata chilling together. Worried for them, he motioned the group over and gave them the general details of the siutation. Shikamaru nodded and began to gather the rest of the crew.

Sasuke and Saukra made it to their beach house. As they walked in, the Uchiha exploded in rage. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING SAKURA! WHY WERE YOU ALL ALONE WITH THOSE GUYS?!"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO THAT?!"

"THAT'S THE POINT YOU IDIOT! THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE GOING TO RAPE YOU, NONETHELESS SPIKE YOUR DRINK." Sasuke paced anxiously around the house. Out of no where, he punched the nearest wall, causing a ginormous hole from the impact. "FIRST YOU DITCH ME IN KIRI AND NOW THIS?! SHIT SAKURA! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Sakura stood quietly. Her eyes were glued to the floor.

"Sakura, answer me!"

Still, her mouth was closed.

"Sakura Haruno."

Nothing. Her eyes was we're still glued to the floor.

Sasuke snorted. "Really? You're still upset about yesterday? Would you just drop that for the time being?! For Kami's sake, you were so close to getting raped by three guys." He waited but the Pinkette's mouth was closed. "Wow. I'm bending my back for and you're behaving like this?"

"I never asked for you-"

He threw his hands up like a mad man. "You didn't ask but I'm doing out of the kindness of my heart! You need to be more careful!"

"I'm fine on my own! I don't need you to look out for me," Sakura spat out.

"Really?! You sure cause if it wasn't for me, your ass was about to be drugged and you were going to get taken advantage of." Sasuke sighed and brought a hand up to his forehead. "You know what? I don't need to be telling you what to do and stuff. You're old enough to make your own decisions. We aren't even dating, but I'm done with you."

Sakura stood there emotionless near the doorway as Sasuke stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

"Are you sure nothing happened between you guys?"

"Yes, Ino." Sasuke sighed. "Everything is fine. Can you please stop asking me already?"

Ino fidgeted with her fingers. It was apparent that something did occur back in the beach house a couple weeks ago, but both victims were not being very cooperate with her. Back at the beach, her and her friends were returning home from the party when they ran into a fuming Uchiha. She tried to get him to calm down, but it was making things worse.

As for Sakura, she didn't say a single word for the rest of the trip.

Since that party incident, no one has heard much from Pinkette. Whenever they asked her a question, she replied with short and simple answers. They were lucky that they got that much out of her.

Psychology class was the worst. Professor Iruka noticed that Sakura hadn't been paying attention, as she would doodle in her notebook, and he would call her out. In response to that, the girl simply grabbed her things, slid on her earphones, and walked out of class.

Iruka was angrier than the Hulk. He'd call out to her and attempted to drag her back into class but it was too late. Even when Iruka confronted her the next time they had met for class, Sakura only apologized with a simple, "Sorry", and dug her face into her notebook. Of course, the professor was still angry at her, but what could he do? He nodded his head, rolled his eyes, and continued in with class.

Every once in a while, Ino, Hinata, or Naruto would wander over to where the Pinkette was and attempted to strike a conversation. It was the same as always. Sakura responded with short quiet single words. She was her usual self, but she still was missing a part of her personality. But whenever she caught glimpse of the Uchiha, she quickly looked away and pressed her lips into a thin straight line.

Sasuke would catch this and he would return the gesture by clicking his tongue and rolling his eyes. _Hn_ , he pondered as he packed up things. _She's acting like an immature brat. She should be thankful that I saved her back then._

Sure, he was still upset about the way she acted and what happened at the party, but it was as if Sakura were the one holding some sort of grudge. Sasuke was pretty much over what happened back at the beach and wanted to move on, however, it was impossible to confront his former partner, which pissed him off.

He'd casually walk up to her and start a conversation, but all he received was the cold shoulder. Sasuke also send her texts but has not gotten a single response. He even showed up to her house but unluckily, Sakura was not there. No matter what he did to get her attention, the Pinkette ignored him.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "Hey Ino? Do you think I crossed a line when I got after Sakura?"

"I'm not sure to be honest... I mean, don't get me wrong, it was wrong of Sakura to just leave with a bunch of strangers, but to take it as far as screaming in her face, I don't know. I wouldn't blame you so much. I think I would have done the same if I found out about something like that."

The raven haired college student sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. "I guess. I do feel bad for yelling at her, but she did deserve it. It's just, I was so angry! I was simply trying to prevent a life threatening situation and-"

Ino brought Sasuke into a friendly but secure hug. Even though Sasuke hated to show emotion, the whole beach thing had surely gotten him worked up. "It's okay. Sakura probably needs some space. Just because she's ignoring you doesn't mean it didn't affect her." She distanced her self from her friend. "She's most likely still shaken up. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if three large guys were going to rape you?"

She was right. It definitely scary enough just thinking about it, nonetheless, living the moment. Perhaps this was Sakura's way of coping. Sasuke decided to give her space. "Yeah, I see what you mean. Thanks Ino."

"Welcome," she replied as she smiled. "Well, I have to be somewhere with Sai. Text me if you need anything!"

Sasuke waved as he watched his friend disappear into the school's parking lot. Everyone seemed to be getting along with their partners. The project was over, however, that didn't stop the students from hanging out with each other.

The only official couples that he knew of were Lee and Marta, Kiba and Tamaki, and Choji and Karui. Everyone else seemed to be exclusive and kept it under the radar. It wasn't like they were trying to keep it a secret, it was more of a, "minding their own business" type of thing. No one asked and no one told.

Well, there were two people who were an exception.

Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke thought that they were the ones that were going to get along the most. Sakura had appeared to be this down to earth type of girl who didn't have a care in the world. He thought that she was nice, polite, and was very well mannered.

He couldn't be anymore wrong in his life.

The part about her being down to earth and stuff was true, but as far as her being well mannered, polite, and nice were WAY off. Sure, she were those things, but once you got to know her, Sakura was sloppy and sarcastic. How did any guy find her attractive?

That's right. Sasuke found her attractive and he didn't know why.

Sighing, the Uchiha walked to his car and spotted a certain Pinkette walking his way. She was alone with her earphones jammed into her ears and eyes glaring at the floor. He couldn't help but notice that Sakura spent most of her time looking towards the ground, avoiding human contact. And those stupid headphones... Don't get him started with those.

What did she find so fascinating about the ground underneath her? That was a sign of someone being deep in their own thoughts. What was Sakura thinking about when she's in this state of trance? Was it that important?

Her jaded orbs glanced up and locked eyes with Sasuke's onyx eyes. She looked away and walked right past him without any form of acknowledgement.

Sasuke smiled painfully and continued his long walk to the car.


	22. Chapter 22

**-Several Days Later-**

The Uchiha reached for his phone and clicked the screen several times.

 _I'm hungry and i don't have any money. Can you bring me food?_

A text appeared seconds later.

 _I'm busy right now._

 _Come on! I'm begging you..._

 _No Sasuke._

 _I'l do anything._

I _'m holding you to that. I'l be there in about 30._

Sasuke internally celebrated his small victory. If there was one person that didn't let him down, it was his older brother. He was always there no matter what he was going through. With the whole Sakura ordeal, he seemed to be the only he knew that took his side.

The semester was nearing and it had been a couple weeks since he last heard from Sakura, besides their recent run in. There were times when he felt compelled to message her but held back. Sasuke reminded himself that Sakura was the one that got herself into the mess, so this was the punishment she deserved. The more he thought about it, he felt a bit awful about telling her that he was done with her. It was in the heat of the moment so it wasn't like he meant it. Everyone knows you spit out random nonsense when you're angry. Still, Sasuke was not going to apologize because he didn't feel the need to. All they needed was space away from each other.

 _Whatever. It's not like anything was going to happen between us. Girls come and go._

Sasuke told himself this statement repeatedly as his heart grew heavier each time.

.

 **-Sakura POV-**

I quietly rose from my seat and and exited the classroom. The atmosphere in the class setting was beginning to be too much for me so what better way to clear my mind than going to the bathroom.

When I arrived, I forced myself to pee, even though I didn't want to. I left the stall, held onto the ceramic porcelain sink, and stared right into it. My thoughts began to take over my mind and I soon found myself lost in them.

 _How did things end up the way they are now? The last thing I ever wanted was trouble, but I'm stuck right in the middle of it. Ugh, drama sucks! I get that running away from my problems isn't the healthiest thing to do, but who was I going to tell? Everyone knows what happened back at the beach._

I gazed up to the spotted mirror in front of me.

My eyes couldn't help but notice a girl in pink and black hair staring helplessly into my soul.

 _Wow_ , I thought as I silently laughed. Y _ou're looking as pathetic as ever. You have the worst attitude. That's why no one likes you._

No.

I clenched my fists. _I'm not listening to any of your lies! Just shut up!_

My brain and I fought for a good minute or so. Every time that I thought I won the conversation, my head always had a trump card. The more I glared into the mirror, the more pathetic the girl became.

Weak. Useless. Pathetic.

I shut my eyes and opened to look at the girl for the last time. I was certain that I had the strength to stand up to her one last time, but she broke me with what she said.

 _He was right. No one loves you enough to stick by your side._

She was right. If people loved and cared about me like they said they did, everything would have been different. I would have been different. My arms flung to my sides and I regained my balance. The door swung open and without any thought, I walked out of the bathroom, leaving my loser self plastered in the mirror.

.

As I walked, I couldn't help to think what happened over the beach getaway. It was all fun and games until I found out that Jeremy as his pals were planning to take advantage of me. Honestly, if I were in Sasuke's shoes, I think I would have done the same thing. I mean come on, that was pretty stupid of me to fall for the oldest trick in the book. I assume that every one seems to think that I'm upset about that part of the trip, but that isn't the case. I was more agitated with what Sasuke had told me the night before.

First, he had the nerve to call me a hoe. Well, he didn't directly say that but with the example that he used, he might as well just called me one. The fact that the kept jabbing me with that really began to put me down. I'm usually not one to fall for such comments, since I've been called that numerous times, but knowing that it was someone close to me, it... stung.

Is that how he sees me?

Second, the fact that Sasuke had the audacity to bring up my Ex like he knew all about him pissed me off that much more. Yes, the Uchiha saw me at my worst back in Kiri and I described to him a little about the situation, but I only scratched the surface. There was so much more than that.

Those words after our recent argument replayed in my mind.

 _We aren't even dating, but I'm done with you._

Ouch.

I think that one hurt even more than him calling me a whore. I've had many failed friendships, even though I didn't consider Sasuke to be a friend, and having to relive moments like that over and over each time, really did impact me severely. What could I do? All I can do was move on and act like it never happened.

 _Oh well. I thought it was going to work out._

Alcohol sucks. That's why I choose not to drink. It always seems to bring the worst out of people, as well as their true intentions.

The closer I reached the class, voices in the hall grew louder. It was probably just some guys hanging in the hallways before class. Not giving them my attention, my eyes gazed to the floor and I quietly strolled past them.

"Sakura?" One of them questioned. "Is... that you?"

I whipped my head to see who's attention I grabbed.

It was him.

The man of my nightmares.

"It's been so long. How have you been?"

His sexy intoxicating voice filled my ears like honey dripping from a honey comb. I gazed into his dark mysterious eyes and they immediately turned me on. He "casually" licked his lips and pursed his lips into a crooked smile.

I was at a loss for words. My heart fluttered but dropped at the same time. I almost took a step towards him, however, I halted before I could do so. At that moment, all the memories rushed before my eyes. I knew what he was trying to do, but I knew better.

I didn't respond, instead, I kept walking to the direction of my class. When I reached my destination, I hadn't realized it, but I continued to walk right past it. Somehow I knew it wasn't a good idea to walk in because when I looked back, my Ex was following me from a distance.

I sharply turned the corner of the hallway and kept the same steady pace. My strides were a fast walk but I soon found myself sprinting to the nearest bathroom. I remembered that it was in the opposite of the building and the only way I could get there was through the direction of where my Ex was.

Cursing under my breath, I rotated on my heels and dashed away as if my life depended on it. Wait, my life was on the line. I prayed over and over that he wouldn't find me. I cut through every hall so that way he couldn't get the chance to stop me in my tracks. My digitals fearfully reached for my communication device and I rapidly scrolled through my contact list. They halted at the one I desperately was looking for.

That's when my inner self clouded my train of thought.

 _He's done with you, remember?_

That's right. He said those words. He no longer wanted me.

I scrolled again through the list and saw the others name saved, but my fingers could not hit the green button. I was a burden to them. I didn't deserve to have them because I had already began to push them away. It would be weird after all the time we haven't talked and I just hit them up out my own convenience.

I shoved the device back into my pocket.

Panic arose in my body. I needed to get out of this building. He was trailing behind me and I could hear his footsteps pounding into the floor and him calling my name. His presence was choking me because I knew he was going to do anything and everything in his power to get his way.

That thought alone terrified me.

As my last effort, I ran down the stairs to the first floor. On the way down, I had manged to trip over my feet and rolled down at least one of the flights. Luckily, I was the only one there, however, I suffered from a twisted wrist and a bloody forehead. Honestly, that was the least of my problems. All that mattered to me was getting the hell out.

"Sakura! Wait!" The voice shouted. It seemed to be getting closer and closer by the second.

 _No. No. No. NoNoNoNoNo. NoNoNoNoNoNONONONONONO!_

As a last ditch effort, My pumped my arms as fast as I could. I noticed the school's front doors were right in the middle of my vision. Yes! I was finally there! Just as I reached the door, it swung open and I smashed into a certain raven haired guy.

.

 **-Normal POV-**

Sasuke's phone buzzed for about ten minutes non stop before he decided to excuse himself and answer the call. It better have been important because he was missing an important part of his lecture.

Realizing who it was, his attitude quickly changed. "Hey Itachi! It's been over an hour," he fumed quietly. "Where's my-"

The voice cut him off. "You need to get home right the instant."

"I'm in the middle of class. What's so-"

"Sasuke, listen to me."

His older brother's voice sent a chill down his spine. It was rare for his tone to be this serious. "What's wrong Itachi? Is Mom okay? What about Dad? Is Izumi-"

"It's Sakura-"

Sasuke hung up the phone before he let Itachi finish his sentence and bolted to his car.


	23. Chapter 23

Sasuke was typically what you called a "Safe Driver". He obeyed all the laws and drove at least five over the limit. If he was ever to be pulled over by a Cop, his Father would murder him.

But this time, the Uchiha broke nearly every rule. He sped through school zones, ran stop signs and traffic lights, without causing any accident, and even nearly hit another vehicle. Sasuke would never have behaved like this in his life, but the fact that Sakura was in some sort of danger made him go into protective mode.

Sakura needed him and he knew it.

Arriving to his cozy home, he busted through the door and sprinted to the kitchen. His Father, Fugaku, sat with his arms crossed at the family table. Just like everyone, he was worried for the girl. He wasn't very fond of Sakura, but he didn't hate her. He realized that his youngest son changed and it was all because of her.

"Dad-"

As an Officer, he refrained from showing any emotion. He treated this moment as if he were on duty. "She's upstairs in Itachi's room. Ino, along with your Mother, are up there as well. Itachi is in your room waiting for you. I've called her parents so they should be arriving shortly."

Sasuke bolted for the stairs. He reached to the top and ran to his older brother's room. Just before opening it he heard, "No Sasuke. You can't go in", and felt arms wrap around his body. He fought hard against him, but Itachi was much stronger than he was. The oldest Uchiha held his younger brother in a headlock, drug him to his room, and hurled him on the bed. "Look, I said that you can't go in! She's not in the condition-"

"Shut up! I have to see her!" Sasuke attempted to get through the door, but once again, his brother shoved him back. "Itachi," he growled.

Again, Itachi shoved his brother and a small fight broke between the two. All Sasuke was capable of was grasping Itachi's collar and pulling and hugging him. "What happened?!" Sasuke roared as he swung at his brother but failed to land a hit. "What's wrong with Sakura?!"

"I was delivering your food to your class and she ran into me. We collided, but she... I have never seen Sakura so horrified in her life. Before I knew it, she broke down. I honestly thought she lost her mind. She kept holding on to me and claimed that she was going to die. I had no choice but to bring her here."

"That doesn't answer my question! What the hell happened?!"

"Don't know." He let his brother go. "But it was obvious that she was running from something or someone."

There were footsteps in the hallway. The chatter from outside his door managed to creep in so Sasuke sprinted to the door and swung it open. Mrs. Haruno and his Mother were standing in front of his brother's room. It appeared that they were having some sort of small talk about what's been going on.

He could feel his Itachi lunge for him, but Sasuke made the run for it. Mebuki cracked the door open. He caught a glimpse of the Pinkette and wish he hadn't. He imagined that Itachi was overreacting but it was the truth.

Sakura was unrecognizable. Her eyes were so puffed up from all the crying that you couldn't see the color of her orbs. There were these bright red streaks down her cheeks from all the tears and a third of her t-shirt was soaked from the tears. On top of all that, she had white bandages that covered her forehead and wrapped around her wrist. She also shook violently and wailed loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sasuke was filled with rage.

This was so much worse than what happened back at Kiri. Sasuke had a gut feeling that it had to do with her Ex. Nothing else made her act this way, but him. It was his fault and Sasuke was going to murder him for hurting Sakura. If he ever saw him, the Ex would not live to see another day.

The once partners made eye contact.

In an instant, Sakura's tears returned and she sobbed uncontrollably. Sasuke extended his arms and called out to her, but Itachi managed to get a hold of him. Sakura mouthed a couple words to him before the door between them shut.

Right after that, Sasuke was left with his brother holding back tears and an abnormal amount of hatred.

.

Mebuki and Ino spent about several hours with the terrified Pinkette. Since then, Sasuke was holed up in his room with his Itachi. All he wanted to do was be there for her to comfort her like he did back at MMF, but his stupid brother pretty much him tied down.

He could hear her muffled cries here and then. At one point, there was a loud crash followed by a bit of an argument but had died down fairly quickly. As always, Sasuke attempted to break way to where Sakura, but his brother was an iron wall. Sasuke loved Itachi, however, he could be such a nuisance.

The blonde girl casually waltzed in with Uchiha siblings. The look on her face was filled with sorrow and shock. "Hey you guys."

The youngest Uchiha gripped her shoulders and shook her. "Is she okay?!"

Truth was, Ino had never imagined that Sakura had an emotionally unstable side to her. She was such a charismatic carefree girl who didn't care what the world thought about her. It never registered in her mind that the Pinkette could have problems in her life. "She's calmed down quite a bit but isn't ready to see anyone just yet. Who would have thought. I could have never imagined Sakura being such a-"

"Mess?" Sasuke interrupted smoothly. "Yeah, I felt the same way when I first saw her in a similar situation."

"If you knew then why did you hide it from us? What were you thinking?! Sasuke, why would you hide something urgent like this?!"

Sasuke started at his feet and lost himself in a deep thought. He wasn't really sure why he hadn't said anything. Perhaps it was because Sakura wanted it to be kept a secret or maybe it was more of the fact that he wanted to be the only one who knew about that side of hers. Well, it didn't matter what he chose because the result was going to be the same. "I just-"

Mikoto barged into the room. "Sasuke, honey? Do you mind talking to Mr. Haruno for a second? He has a few questions to ask you."

The Uchiha joined the group of adults that were gathered around his kitchen table. Mebuki and Kizashi politely begged the young man if a similar situation had occurred anytime throughout the course of the year. Defeating and apologetically, Sasuke confirmed their doubts. He began to explain in detail about Kirigakure, leaving out the part about losing the keys to cuffs, the shower incident, and their sudden cuddle sessions, about her odd behavior and the things she said. Luckily, the Haruno's were understanding but only wished that he had called or said something much earlier.

Fugaku dismissed his son and Sasuke walked to his room. To his guess, Sakura's parents and his were more than likely going to discuss the current situation. From the whispers it sounded like they were describing the looks of a mid-twenty year old man.

 _So it was her Ex._ He stomped to the top of the staircase. _I swear if I ever see him... I'm going to to punch his face-_ The door to Itachi's room flung open and a girl in sweaty pink hair stood frozen in the doorway. Just like earlier her eyes were swollen and red and she appeared to be exhausted.

Sakura was fighting back her inner demon and Sasuke could tell that she was losing.

They were face to face once again. The onyx orbs stared into the depths of the emerald orbs in search for a response. Some say that if you grow close to someone, you'll be able to know what they're thinking without having to speak a single word. Not only did he know what she was saying, Sasuke was beginning to experience that same emotion Sakura was going through.

It was an overwhelming feeling. So overwhelming, in fact, he had to break eye contact so that he could snap back into reality. How did she live through that fear? Those emotions? How did she date such a monster?

Sakura's eye watered, but before a tear could fall, she felt a pair of strong but gentle arms wrap around her body and hug her tightly. Both college students made their way back into Itachi's room, where they had shut the door behind them, and were all alone. The Pinkette could feel her knees go weak, but since the one person she wanted to see was holding her, she wasn't afraid of falling.

Because she knew that if she fell, he was going to catch her.

At that moment, she silently cried.

Sasuke sat down, bringing her to his lap. All he could do was comfort her and support her. Her sobs were rather quiet, however, her cry for help was loud as ever. Every once in a while, he caressed her head and softly spoke to her.

This was WAY different than that meltdown in Kiri. Sakura had initially refused his comfort and acted hostile towards, but now, she was completely submissive. Whenever he moved an inch, Sakura moved with him. What Sasuke didn't understand was why she was acting this way. Was her past relationship worse than he imagined it to be?

What the hell happened to her?

In honesty, Sasuke was more worried about the fact that if tomorrow came around, would it be a repeat of MMF? Would she wake up the next day and rely on him for the help she desperately needs?

Or would Sakura wake up and act as if nothing had ever happened?


	24. Chapter 24

The next couple days were the most painful. Sasuke observed the Pinkette from afar and noticed that she was acting like her normal self, but there were times when she uncertain of her surroundings. Sakura would hesitate before turning a corner or halt in her tracks. The last thing he ever wanted to do was spy on her, but Sasuke was gravely worried about her safety. Maybe if he was around to watch her, that pesky Ex of hers would show up and that would be his chance to settle the score.

After following her around for a couple days, it was time he confronted someone about her odd behavior. As the days progressed, Sakura's attitude was worsening by the minute. She had ignored everyone in the group, dodged any form of communication, and to no surprise, wore her headphones 24/7. Every so often she'd glance up and shoot a smile at whoever walked by. Most people bought into it, however, Sasuke and Ino knew better than to buy into her lie.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

The Uchiha waited patiently until a blonde haired woman greeted him at the door. Both people made their way into the kitchen, where Mebuki's husband sat reading the daily paper. "If you're looking for Sakura, she stepped out."

"That's fine. I'm actually here to talk about an issue that has been bothering for the past week." This was Sasuke's best chance to learn about her past. What better than to ask her parents?

Kizashi cleared his throat and turned a page. "If it's about my daughter, then we do not discuss this issue. Sakura has to learn to deal with the consequences of her actions. If you're worried about her, don't be."

"Don't you think you're being a bit too harsh here, sir?!" Sasuke glared at the pink haired man with complete disgust. He hadn't thought about it much, but Sakura definitely takes after her Dad.

The woman interrupted the two men as she took a seat next to husband. "Please, excuse Kizashi. What he meant was that it's not something we, as her parents, should not share. This is something you must ask Sakura and not us-"

"I've tried doing that Mrs. Haruno, but all she ever does is give me the cold shoulder. I don't know if you're aware of this, but Sakura is secluding herself from her friends, though most of them don't realize what's happening. Ino and I are really worried that she's going to do something stupid!"

"Sasuke. This will be the only thing I will tell you about my daughter, in relation to her past relationship," Meubki replied as Kizashi gripped her shoulder in protest, but only was to be swatted away in retaliation. "Sakura has trust issues. Her past relationship may have been, no, it was the worst thing that could have ever happened in her life. Because of what she went through for that brief period, it has led to believe that all guys are like her Ex."

"So she's basing that relationship with that particular one? That's not fair."

"Of course it's not, but Sasori was her first boyfriend."

 _Ah. That makes sense,_ Sasuke thought. I _t's only takes one person to mess it up for everyone else. God, who ever Sasori is, I hate that dude. He sounds gay anyways._

Mebuki continued, "Anyways, this is the first time the Ex has showed his face around, so we are a bit worried for her safety as well, but I'm sure she will be fine. As my husband was trying to say, Sakura has to face the consequences of her actions. We would never want her to go through the misery she's facing, but sometimes it is necessary to learn from one's mistake."

"How long until she returns to normal?"

"If this were any other situation, several days to a couple weeks, but since this situation is different, I'm not entirely sure. It should wear off sooner or later."

Ugh. Sasuke hated the sound of that. It had already been those couple weeks and there had been no change. But since this wasn't her ordinary "meltdown", it could take about a month or longer. "Do you know where I can find her?"

Kizashi eyed him. "Why would I tell you? You have something to do with my daughter?"

"With all due respect Mr. Haruno, what if I do? I care about your daughter just as much as any one sitting here at this table. In fact, I care about her much more than surpassing the friendship level." He accidentally blurted out that sentence with a terrible amount of confidence. Great. Sasuke was in for the beat down of his life.

He could feel Sakura's Dad presence suddenly fill the air. "Oh really now?" The man neatly folded his newspaper and slid it across the table in a cocky manner. He folded his arms and leaned back into his chair. "It sounds like you have something for my little girl, am I right? Please, correct me if I'm wrong."

Sasuke hated himself at the moment, but this was an opportunity he could not pass up. "I would never do anything that could hurt her in anyway. Trust me sir, I know what it's like. If you're wondering if I have feelings towards Sakura, then yes, yes I do. To answer your question: I can't say that I love your daughter, only because I have known her for a few months, but in the future, I will come to love her. Your daughter is the most precious woman in my life and I will do anything to protect her. She's one of a kind and there is no one else I want."

Kizashi was taken aback by his sudden love confession, but he still didn't buy into his sappy love story. "You sound like him. What makes you any different from him?"

"Don't compare me to that loser. I understand if you do not believe me, but it's the truth. Pouring out my heart to the Father of the girl I pretty much love was the last thing I'd ever do, but I felt like you should know what my intentions are." Sasuke stood and bowed. "I have to at least thank you for at least trusting me in the slightest with your daughter. Trust me. She's quite a difficult girl."

Kizashi examined the young man once more. He had a point. It was extremely rare for a college boy to profess his love out loud. Although his daughter's Ex did almost the exact same thing Sasuke did, he knew that he was fake from the start, but listening to the young man before him confess, it made him realize that his feelings were genuine. Besides, knowing that this kid was the son of the town's Sheriff, it had to have been the truth. If there was anything the people of Konoha knew, the Uchiha's were known to be rather emotional creature, though they did not show it.

The man reached for his paper and stuck his face into it's contents. "Sakura is out in the fields right now. Its getting late so all I ask is to please look out for her. Can I trust you with that?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth tilted up into a smirk.

"Don't let it get to your head boy. Don't think that this is an approval to date my little princess because I would never do that."

In one single motion, Sasuke kindly excused himself and ran off to where the Pinkette was.

"Honey," Mebuki began as she rose. "What happened to not telling him where she was?"

"Listen Mebuki. I was once his age once. If a man loves a woman unconditionally and pours his heart out to the Father, it's a sign."

"A sign of what?"

Kizashi looked into his beautiful wife's orbs and glanced away in a playful manner. "Bah! You wouldn't understand woman."

She curled her fists and growled at her husband. "I can't stand you most of the time! I hate it when you do this! Of all men, why did I have to marry you?!"

"It's because I love you." He winked at his wife and slapped her butt. Mebuki blushed and stormed off to finish what was left of her chores.

.

By the time Sasuke arrived to the fields, the clock struck ten o'clock in the evening. The brisk evening swallowed the sky with glittering stars. It was quiet, but the sounds of soccer balls being pelted echoed into the space around him. It was easy to spot Sakura since she was the only one left in the park. He gazed at the Pinkette from a distance.

She was taking shots at goal with a several balls strewn around her. He had seen her play a few times. The girl was graceful, swift, and her posture was flawless. For a girl her age, she was very skilled for what she did.

But now, her body language was awful. She'd take a couple of breaths, stare at her ball, then the goal, and finally strike with all her might. Just as the ball would reach her goal, it would either dip sharply to the left or right, or completely sail over the crossbar. No matter how many times she switched methods, the results were the same.

If anything, Sakura was extremely frustrated and it was easy to notice. Every time she missed, she would let out an enormous breath of hot air or whisper curses to herself. To Sasuke, it was the most entertaining thing to watch, but her life was falling apart, so that part was no joke. Sakura had already seen the Uchiha from the time he arrived. Instead of acknowledging him, she shrugged her shoulders and continued to ignore him.

He wasn't stupid. He knew what she was doing and Sasuke was not going to fall for such childish antics. He was just going to patiently stand by the sidelines and keep watch over her until Sakura had let out all the steam she kept holding onto. It would be about an hour so before she'd calm down. Hopefully by then, she'd be ready to talk.

What was she thinking at the moment? How long has she been out here on the field? There was so much Sasuke wanted to know and ask. It was obvious that she was not in the mood to talk. Thinking about what had happened in the past few months, Sakura was definitely a strong person. As much as he hated to admit it, there probably wasn't anything that she couldn't take on herself. He had just wished that she would rely on her friends for help. Isn't that what friends are for?

The more shots she took, the worse her accuracy became. This time, balls were sailing all over the place and into the parking lot. To make things easier for the Pinkette, Sasuke volunteered himself to shag the balls. It was the least he could do for her.

Thirty minutes had gone by and the cycle continued as is: Sakura shot, ball flies over the crossbar, Sasuke collected the ball and passed it to the girl, and repeat. The drill was becoming very tedious, but the Uchiha told himself multiple times that it was best to keep his mouth shut and let the Pinkette do what she was doing. For all he knew, Sakura was a ticking time bomb. One wrong word and...

Kaboom.

A bit after that, Sakura paused for a minute or two. She tilted her head up at the starry sky and inhaled slowly. To Sasuke's amazement, she looked rather peaceful. "Hey," she called out to him in a soft manner.

Startled, Sasuke neared her. "What's up?"

"Nevermind." She juggled the ball, placed in front of her body, and took a shot.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

He hated hearing that simple response. She always said the same thing over and over. It was either, "It's nothing," or "I'm fine". It was apparent that she was not fine. Why did she always have to hide her emotions from others? For Kami's sake, Sakura Haruno was human, not a robot!

This was his opportunity to get to talk to her. Sasuke needed to break Sakura and he was going to do everything in his power to make it happen. If their relationship is at risk because of it, that was all right. He would rather much expose Sakura for who she really was than to have her hiding behind some mask.

"Can I ask you something?"

Silence.

"Why are you pretending that life is okay when in reality your life is this gigantic mess?

His blunt question threw the Pinkette off. Instead of striking the ball, she kicked the ground and chunks of grass popped up into the air. "Why are you meddling into my business? Stay out of it," Sakura growled.

"There you go again. It's like Kiri all over again. I comforted you through your nightmare, but you treat me like this? Why do you act like things never happened? It's the same as a week ago. You were in Itachi's room wailing your heart out. Again, I was there for you, but after that day, you ignored me. Don't I deserve at least a thank you?! What do you take me for?!"

"I appreciate your help, but I didn't ask for it." Sakura took another shot at goal.

Sasuke snorted in disgust. "Wow. Are you serious? Did you really just tell me that? You're such a jerk, you know that? Keep that up and no one is going to want to be around you. You know what, you might as well be alone all your life."

The Pinkette repeated his words in her brain. His venomous words infected her self esteem with each passing second. "If that's the case, leave. I don't need a cancer like you rolling into my life," she responded quietly. "I was better being alone. I had to be partnered up with you for that lame ass project. It wasn't like I had a choice."

"You suck," he spat.

"Idiot," she retaliated.

Sasuke sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that about you, but c'mon Haruno! Why are you bottling yourself up? You would feel so much better if you just opened up to those close around you."

Sakura left the Uchiha swimming in his own words. She struck the ball again. It hovered to right of the post. "I don't share my thoughts to those who I don't feel comfortable around."

Ouch.

Those words stung him like a honey bee piercing the most sensitive part of his skin. No matter what he threw at her, it seemed to bounce of her like a plate of armor. It was time that he took a different approach and turn the heat up a notch.

He walked up behind the Pinkette, stood, and examined her form once more. It was brilliant and flawless, but why was did she keep missing her target? The soccer goal was ginmormous. Even a second grader would not be able to miss it. "Another question."

"You're so annoying. Can't you ever shut up?"

"Thanks," he replied with a grin. "But anyways, what's always been your dream?"

"I want to travel around the world and attend every EDM festival there is to offer. That's my dream."

"That's not what I meant, Sakura." Sasuke exhaled in irritation. "Before you were raving, what was the one thing you wanted to become in life?"

It had been light years since Sakura had thought about her life before she began to party. It was a time in her life she wished she had never wanted to live and because of this, it was kept hidden in the back of her head. She had told herself that she would never ever speak about that topic.

"So?"

"You heard me, Uchiha. I'm not going to discuss it with you." The Pinkette shot the ball and it nicked the post.

Now Sasuke was infuriated. It was time to bring out the big guns and show no mercy. "You know," he began as he stood next to the girl. "Throughout the entire hour I've been here, you have yet to make a single goal. Sheesh, I'm glad your dream wasn't to become a Professional Soccer Athlete."

The Pinkette froze in place.

Bingo.

Instead of lashing out, she took a few silent breaths and struck the ball, which curled too far to the left.

"Yep," Sasuke said as he popped the 'p'. "You totally suck."

Sakura hit it once more. The ball flew to the right.

"Why are you even trying? Just stop."

She hit again. It sailed over the crossbar.

"You're so embarrassing! Do yourself a favor and just go home 'cause you're just wasting time. You're better off just partying and becoming nothing in life."

Out of the blue, Sakura screeched, "SHUT THE F*** UP!" With the last few ounces of energy she had left, she pelted the ball towards the goal. It hit the crossbar and ricocheted back to her. Determined to score, she ran in for the volley. Before it had hit the ground, Sakura smashed the ball to the goal. Despite all her efforts, it hit the crossbar again, but this time, it had ricocheted back and nailed the Pinkette square in face. She collapsed to the ground as she clutched her face.

"Sakura!" Sasuke ran up to assist her, but she yelled at him to stay away.

"Get away!" Right then, she broke down into tears. "That's all I wanted to do! I wanted to play soccer! I wanted to play for my country. That was the only thing I wanted to do in life!" Her sudden outburst threw Sasuke off. This was the first time she had mentioned her love for the game.

"Why don't you-"

"I can't," she desperately whined. "It's over for me. I gave it up. I can't go back to it anymore." Tears streamed down her face, along with blood from her nose. Sasuke offered his shirt so she could wipe her blood, but she refused. "To the people I once knew, even the ones I know now, I'm a disappointment. I could have gone so far with my soccer career. I could have become someone. I could have made it professionally. I could have made it, but I gave it up. I gave it up, I gave it up, I GAVE IT UP!"

As much as he wanted to intervene, Sasuke held back and let the Pinkette blow off steam. She most likely held up all these emotions for years and never bothered to discuss it with anyone. Perhaps today was the day for her to expose herself.

"I loved the game. I loved the game with all my heart, but I... I gave it up... for him." She coughed and took a slight breath. "He fed me these lies. I believed every single word. I'm so stupid for believing him! Everyone had so much faith in my abilities, but when I began to date him, everyone suddenly looked at me if I were some sort of abomination. I knew. They knew. He knew, but I already fell for his trap!" She punched the soft green grass with all her might. "I'm a disappointment and that's all I'll ever be."

The Uchiha's heart broke. He felt slightly guilty for telling Sakura those unnecessary comments.

"After I broke up with him, I had nothing to turn to. I was so hopeless, so lost, so... done with my life. It was way too painful for me to touch the ball. Even until now, my heart grows heavy just playing. It's a like a reminder of how badly I f***ed up and now I'm paying the price. Now, he's showed his face and I don't know what to do!" She clutched her head. "He's coming after me. I just know it. He wants back in and I don't know what to do!"

Sasuke soaked in in every word the girl spoke. He didn't break Sakura, he completely shattered her into a millions pieces. The whole time bomb thing was an understatement; she was a walking A-Bomb.

The Pinkette rose to her feet and stared up into the sky. "I thought it was real, our love that is, but there was a time in the relationship that I couldn't handle it anymore. My brain, my body, my sanity..." Her face contorted in disgust and her body trembled in what appeared to be fear. "I couldn't do it anymore. I needed out! It was always about him. Anything we did, he had to approve it first."

Sakura hugged herself and tears poured out more than ever. "God, I feel so... disgusting. I cringe at the thought of someone touching me. Even if it's a friendly hug, I'm repulsed. I can't even hug my own Dad without shoving him away! I hate myself for doing that! For Kami's sake, he's my Dad! Can't I just love him like a normal daughter would?"

"Did he...?!" Horrified is what Sasuke was. He remembered the night when he held her at the hotel in Kiri. He was feeling like a total douche. "I'm so sorry Sakura! If I would have known, I would have never overstepped the boundary!"

She shook her head. "No. It never went to that extent, but we were close. It's okay. I didn't tell you so it's not like you had a way of knowing. Besides, I honestly feel safe when you're around." She cleaned her face with her muddy hands. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared." Sakura's voice cracked. "I don't know what to do. He's back and he's coming after me. He'll do whatever to get me back." She reached out and grabbed the bottom edge of the Uchiha's shirt in a desperate manner. "Please Sasuke. I know I'm such an ass, but please help me. I'll do anything you want me to! I'll pay you! I'll-"

"That's all I was waiting to hear. All you had to do was ask." Sasuke brought the Pinkette into a warm hug. "Shh, Sakura. As long as I'm here I promise I won't let that pesky Ex of yours lay a finger on you. I'll get my hands dirty if I have to, or even risk my life, in order to protect you." He kissed the top of her forehead. "I'm sorry if that was weird or made you feel uncomfortable, but I wanted to let you know how I felt." He rested his chin on top of her head, not breaking their hug. "Whatever you want to do with your life, I'll support you. If you want to play ball again, I'll be there. Whatever you decide, I'll be there to push you to do your best. And it won't be just me, you have friends that love you very much and want nothing but the best for you."

"I can't-"

He squeezed her gently. "Yes you can. I apologize for saying you suck and those other rude things. I was just caught up in the moment. You're very capable of achieving anything in life. If no one puts faith in you, then I will."

Sakura cried once more, but with tears of happiness. "Thanks Sasuke and I'm sorry for acting like a total jerk."

"Damn right you should be sorry," Sasuke responded in a teasing manner. "Why would you ever ignore me? I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"Screw you," she spat out but smiled playfully. "But in all seriousness, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I don't blame you. I'd be very shaken up as well."

The two stood in silence. The Uchiha noticed that Sakura was very much still swimming in her thoughts. It struck him funny that just a couple minutes ago, she was pouring her heart and soul, venting her emotions, but seeing her now, it was as if she was finally at rest. He had only wished that she had relied on him for help much earlier, but again, he couldn't blame her. This was an extremely touchy subject for the his classmate.

"Hey, Sakura? Today is Friday, right?"

"Duh. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke smiled and held her soft hand. "LiveWire is open today right? Who's playing?"

"Flosstradamus is headlining tonight. He's a trap artist, but I wasn't planning on going. I have way too many things going on in my life right now," Sakura responded in a disappointing manner.

"Exactly. That's why we are going."

"What?! It's 11:30 PM. We won't make it in time! Plus, I don't have tickets and I'm not dressed to rave! I'm covered in dirt!"

He shrugged and pulled her towards his car. "Neither am I, but it's whatever! Let me worry about the important thing right now is that we have fun tonight. Honestly, you look like you need to party."

Sakura tugged her arm back. "Sasuke! My parents-"

"I already talked to them before I came to see you. How else did I find you here?"

"What?! You went to my house?! What did you guys talk about!?"

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. "Ehhh... It's nothing, don't worry about it. Your parents know that you're alive and with me. Your parents won't be a problem."

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke halted and brought a hand to his chest. He mimicked the voice of a typical preppy white high school girl. "Is THE Sakura Haruno, the party animal, saying no to a rave? Omg! I don't know who you are anymore!"

Sakura glared at him. It took a few seconds to finally reach her decision. "I'm not saying no, but-"

"Well we're going to rave!" Sasuke pulled the Pinkette towards the vehicle.

"I hate you" she muttered under her breath. "But I guess you're tolerable."

The Uchiha turned his head. "What'd you say?"

"Nothing."

 _Heh_ , he thought. _I know you love me._


	25. Chapter 25

The Uchiha pressed his phone screen several times.

 _You home?_

A few seconds later.

 _No but I should be there in a few. What's up?_

 _Is it okay if I come over?_

There was a sudden ten minute text gap. Sasuke was sure that he was left on read. Considering that it was Sakura, it didn't really faze him.

His cellphone received a notification.

 _Sure. I'll let you know when I'm over._

Sasuke gave himself a pat on the back for his small victory.

.

Sakura laid restless on her bed as Sasuke sat at her desk. She was laying on top of her sheets and was in a pair of black joggers and red tshirt. Her jaded orbs started up at her ceiling and never broke contact.

Sasuke sat in silence as he played with a pencil. It had been about twenty minutes since his arrival and not one soul said a word. He had tried to initiate conversation, but Sakura appeared to not be in the mood. She was most likely still stumped after what had happened several days ago.

"Hey Pinky."

"Yeah?"

"I think it's only fair if I tell you my story since you told me yours."

Sakura shifted onto her side so that she was now facing the Uchiha.

"Believe it or not, I once had a girlfriend."

"What? I thought you were gay," the Pinkette snorted sarcastically.

"Ha. Ha. Anyways," Sasuke cleared his throat. "Her name was Karin. Just like any relationship, we were going great. We did typical couple things like go on dates, kiss, hold hands, you know, things like that. I honestly don't know what happened, but she became very... possessive."

"Sounds like the type you attract."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and ignored Sakura's unnecessary comment. "From the beginning, no one in my family liked her, especially Itachi. Almost on a daily basis, he would tell me all these things he saw was wrong. At one point, he began to tell me to break it off with her. It pissed me off how everyone was dishing on me because of my girlfriend. I ignored everyone and continued to date her."

"What made you break it off with her?"

"It's a long story." The Uchiha paused. It seemed like it was yesterday when he broke up with Karin, but in reality, it had been years.

"I have time," Sakura replied confidently.

"Of course you do. A week before we broke up, my Ex made this HUGE scene at the grocery store. A girl had walked up to me and asked what aisle the bread was. She was probably hitting on me, but who knows. She probably did need the help. Karin noticed the girl talking to me and she went off on the girl. I tried to calm her down, because it was obviously a misunderstanding, but she turned it on me and started yelling at me how I was 'trying' to cheat on her. I brushed Karin off and apologized to the girl."

"Then?"

"I didn't get to buy groceries. We left the market and on the way home, we had the biggest argument of our lives. At a certain point she tried to pin the blame on me by saying how I 'trust' girls so easily. She began to question my friendship with Ino, Hinata, and a few others I knew. We argued a while longer but we 'made up'. It was always the same: argument, apology, she goes on a rant on how she's the worst girlfriend in the world, and more apologies. It was just an exhausting process for me. Things never got solved, it got pushed to the side. I dropped her off home and that's when I actually put thought into our relationship. I came to the conclusion that my older brother was right."

"So the day you broke up?"

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. "She came over to my house. My Mom did or said something that pissed my Ex off, without knowing, and she snapped at her."

The Pinkette's eyes widen and her jaw dropped.

"Yeah. I thought she was messing around but nope. She argued and told my own Mother off." He hung his head and clutched his thigh. "My Ex had the audacity to push my Mom. It wasn't like a huge shove though. It was more of like one of those 'Watch your Back' type of pushes.

That was the last straw.

I yelled at her, packed her things, and threw her out of my house. That's it. Since then, it's just been me. There were times where she called me nonstop so I blocked her. She also tried to come over to my house several times after but gave up after sometime."

Sakura sat up. "I'm sorry that happened to you. Your Mom is such a nice lady! Why would anyone do that to her?!"

"My Ex is psycho. That's why."

"How did you not see that side of hers?"

"The same as you. How did you not see that side of your Ex?"

She shook her head is disagreement. "Nah. I knew what my Ex's intentions were but I didn't have the guts to break up with him." She grabbed one of her pillows and brought it to her chest. "I don't know why I held off so long. Maybe it was fear because he would never let me do anything. I thought that he wouldn't let me break up with him. Or maybe it was the fear of being all alone in a world where I knew no one. If I broke up with him, I had no friends to turn to. I had pushed everyone away from my life for his sake. Now that I think about it, that was probably because of that reason."

"What about your rave buddies?"

"I didn't meet them until months after the break up." She exhaled slowly. "Dang, I feel like I wasted two whole years of my life on some pathetic loser. If I had the chance to redo my last relationship, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Don't we all," Sasuke chuckled. He glanced up at his partner and watched her closely. Her small body frame rested against the soft pillow. Her eyes were once again lost in space.

"I'm sorry," the Pinkette confessed.

"For?"

"For being an ass. I promise you that I was never like this. Sakura Haruno use to be this shy, loud, and obnoxious girl, who was weak and useless. I was never the smart alec you know now." She squeezed the pillow. "I feel like the attitude I have now is one of the few reason why I can't make friends."

Sakura wasn't crying, but Sasuke noticed the sadness plastered on her face. He rolled his chair over to her, reached out, and held her hands. "Hey, I think your attitude suits you quite well. If you acted any different, I don't think you'd be Sakura Haruno. I like you better this way. It shows you how strong you've become without that stupid guy. Anyways, you don't realize this, but you have friends that love you very much. In fact, Ino won't shut up about you. It's getting annoying if you ask me."

"Whatever. You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"It's true! Not just Ino though, Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, Lee, and the others too. They always ask how you're doing and what you're up to. You're one of us now."

Sakura let out a puff of laughter. "Thanks. It really means a lot."

"You're welcome."

Sasuke wasn't lying. Ino and the rest of the gang had grown extremely fond of the Pinkette in just a short amount of time. It all felt like a big dream.

How it all happened?

All thanks to Professor Iruka. He finally did something right for once.

"Hey Sakura?" The Uchiha spoke softly.

The girl looked at him with eyes of interest. "Yeah?"

Their hands were still locked together. Sasuke lowered his head and lost himself in his thoughts. He could help but to think how amazing Sakura was. She had endured so much for so long and she dealt with it all alone. Most people would have gone insane in just a matter of weeks. Although she did have a cocky attitude, it was one of the few things he loved about her. There was no one else but her.

Sasuke intertwined his fingers with hers. "You're really beautiful." He looked up at her perfect face.

A tiny smile broke out, as well as a light blush, on her face. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

Both young adults averted their eyes away but they made eye contact once again.

Sasuke reached out and ran his fingers through her pink and soft hair. The strands between his fingers sent a chilling sensation down her spine. Sakura reached over and her fingertips gently traced over his cheek and side of his face. Her touch was so electrifying that it sent Sasuke's heart beat out of control.

He cupped her face with one hand and leaned towards the Pinkette. Just before their lips locked, Sakura gasped and turned her face away. Sasuke's onyx orbs fluttered open as he pulled away. He couldn't help but to notice the girl quaking in her spot.

Sakura has trust issues.

He figured just as much. He couldn't blame her. It was going to take time to be able to earn that trust from her.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke sighed with guilt. "That was rude of me."

The Pinkette shook her head. "No! It's okay really! It's not your fault. It's just...," her voice trailed off to a whisper. Frustration too over her body and she shut her eyes and curled her fists. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm trying, I really am, but, Ugh, I just can't. Sorry."

The Uchiha reached over and grasped her hand softly. "It's okay. Take your time."

"I can't. I'm going to make you wait too long." She gently shook her had away from Sasuke's grip. "I'd hate to do that to you. It's best if I don't. It's probably best if you moved on to someone more suited for you."

Sadness engulfed Sasuke's heart. It wasn't because of what Sakura was telling him, it was what she was doing that was upsetting him. The Pinkette was once again pushing him away and it was because of this lie she has engraved deep in her brain.

He wasn't going to let that happen any longer.

"Sakura." Her orbs met his face. "I'm not going anywhere. If I have to wait a day, I will. If I have to wait until next week, okay. If I have to wait for weeks, sweet! If I have to wait months or even years, then so be it! You're the only one I want. I like you Sakura. Ever since we went on that stupid trip to Kiri, I pretty much fell in love with you. So whatever you're thinking right now, stop believing it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Sakura laughed quietly. "Thanks for sticking close by. I'm a real butt most of the time."

"Most? You mean ALL the time," the Uchiha joked.

"Whatever."

Sasuke reached his hand out. "Come on and let's get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Sakura took his hand and lifted herself off her mattress. "Same. I could use some food right now." She slipped into her shoes. "Ready!"

Before he could turn around, Sasuke felt a pair of soft lips press onto his cheek. Heat rose from his face and he stood astounded by the random action.

"Thank you," the Pinkette said with a bright crimson face. "For giving me a chance."

"No," he replied. "Thank you for giving me the chance. It means more than anything else to me right now." He held his hand out and waited to see if it was okay with the Pinkette. "May I?"

She slowly but hesitantly took his hand into her own. Sakura gave him a slight nod.

"Come. Lets go," Sasuke cooed. The two college students walked out hand in hand, not having much care in the world.


	26. Chapter 26

There were just a couple more weeks before the semester ended and everyone was ready to leave. College sucks and no one dared to disagree.

By this time, in Psychology, everyone was practically dating their partners from the "Cuffed" project, with the exception of a few. Although Shino did not have a partner, he did manage to date a girl from another one of his classes.

Go figure.

Class had ended and people began to disperse to either their next class or their cars. Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Temari, Naruto, and Hinata decided to stick around campus and chill in the student center, where there were pool, ping pong tables, video games, and other things of the sort. They could have been studying for their upcoming final, but they needed a bit of R&R from school life.

While the boys crowded around a pool table and held guy talk, the girls sat on a nearby couch and held small talks of their own. It mostly consisted of food, the boys, and school. Tenari began to tease Sakura about a certain raven haired Uchiha, but the Pinkette denied it all. Although it was obvious that the two people were in love, Temari let it slide.

"I have to go pee," Sakura stated as she stood on her feet. "Be right back."

Hinata and Temari responded with a simple, "Okay" and Sakura continued about her way.

The restrooms at the center were out of order so the Pinkette had to make a walk to the nearest school building. It was a ways from where the group was, but in reality, it was not too far. It was perhaps no more than a minute walk. Sakura went and did her business. She left the stalls feeling refreshed and halted by the water fountains to take a swig of water.

"If it isn't Sakura," a recognizable voice laughed behind her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

A cold chill ran through her spine, making her skin prickle with terror.

Why was he here?

Sakura slowly turned around and met the person's mysterious orbs. "Sasori," she sternly but softly said.

"I was in the middle of class and I had to use the bathroom. Never did I expect to find you here." He took a step towards her. "How long have you been coming to this school? I just started the semester here."

As he did this, the Pinkette began to pace backwards until her back hit the wall. She dared not to say a word to him.

"Okay...," he muttered awkwardly. "How have you been? We really need to catch up sometime. I love what you did to your hair. The ombre suits you very well."

Sakura stared at him.

Sasori tilted his head in disappointment. "No? Awh, I was hoping to-"

"Sorry, but-t I need to go," the Pinkette interjected as she walked away. However, a pair of hands grabbed one of her wrists in a rough manner.

"Wait a minute. I'm not done talking to you"

"I have nothing to say to you," Sakura growled as she attempted to pull away. "Leave me alone."

Sasori spun her around and forcefully pushed her against the wall. He pinned her hand next to head and lowered his voice. "Listen here. I've seen you walking around with that guy. What's his name?"

Sakura kept her mouth shut.

"Why are you with him? Was I not good enough for you?!"

Silent.

The redhead squeezed her wrist and the Pinkette's face contorted in pain. "Answer me!"

"It's none of your business!" She cried out in pain. "It obviously has nothing to do with you."

The man laughed. "Is that so?" He frowned in a pissed off manner. "What does he have that I don't?"

"Everything," she muttered inaudibly. Sasori tightened his grip and Sakura gasped," Nothing!"

"Heh. That's what I thought." He let her go, leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "If you tell anyone about our little meeting, you're going to regret it. Remember, I can ruin your life in an instant." With that said, Saori left and went about his day.

The Pinkette stood frozen in place. Her knees trembled and carefully, she slid down on the floor.

 _What in the world just happened?_

.

Sasuke glanced around and noticed that Sakura had disappeared for over ten minutes. Did girls take this long to pee? It's not like she had to reapply a layer of makeup because she never wore any. Maybe it was the Chipotle they ate yesterday. It could have gave her the runs.

"Hey Uchiha," Shikamaru called out as he successfully pocketed a ball. "What's up with you and Sakura?"

"I don't know. It's complicated," he replied without revealing too much information. "She's going through some stuff right now, but she'll be fine."

"Come on dude," Naruto laughed. "Everyone knows you both are dating. Why are you keeping it a secret from us? We're your best friends!"

Sasuke lowered his pool cue and focused on his target. "Like I said, it's complicated." His cue made contact with the solid white ball. It bounced off a striped ball and it entered into its desired location. "But if you want a real answer, you can say that we are exclusive."

Naruto gave Shikamaru a high five. "Told you! You owe me ten bucks!"

"What?! Since when have you guys started making bets?!"

Shikamaru handed his blonde friend a ten dollar bill. "Since the day you guys came back from that festival in March. The whole gang knew something was up so we decided to have a friendly wager."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. There was never a dull moment with his friends. It was one of the few things that kept him going in life. From the corner of his orbs, Sakura appeared. Her face was white as snow and she was sweating more than usual. It was a hot day in Konoha, but it wasn't that hot.

Temari and Hinata saw the Pinkette and began to question her. All Sakura seem to do was shake head and respond with, "I'm fine".

Sasuke walked over and tried to figure out what was wrong. "What's wrong, Haruno? Did you see a ghost or something? You look pretty bad."

It took about twenty seconds for her to respond. "No. I'm okay."

"Sakura, you're white as a piece of paper. What happened while you were gone?"

Sakura averted the eyes of her friends. "I... I don't feel good."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied rather quickly.

"No. Something is wrong."

She kept quiet.

"Sakura-"

Sakura stood up and shouted, "I'm on my period Dammit!"

"Gross," Naruto whined.

The Pinkette grabbed her things and walked out of the building. She couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth to him. There were too many people around and her Ex had threatened her. Who knows what he was capable of.

Shikamaru frowned. "Whoa. What just happened?"

Sasuke sighed and packed his items. "I've got to go. See you guys later." He chased after her. There was never a dull moment with his friends and the same could be said about Sakura. "Sakura! Wait-"

A college male student bumped into his body, making him stumble to the side, causing to nearly lose his balance. "What the-"

"Sorry dude! My bad! I didn't see you there," the guy apologized quickly.

"No, it's cool." Sasuke turned around and was ready to sprint, but the guy continued to talk.

"Hey! I've seen you before! You were in one of my classes!"

"Really? That's pretty cool," the Uchiha responded rapidly so he could get the conversation over with.

"Sasuke, right?"

He looked at the guy. His most striking feature was his red scruffy hair. Sasuke usually remembered what his classmates generally looked like, but honestly, he never had seen this dude in his life. Then again, he knew his name so he must have been in one of the earlier class back in his freshman year. "Oh, sorry. I don't remember you."

"That's okay. It has been a while. Anyways, you look like your in a hurry so I leave you to it. Nice meeting you bro." The dude waved and walked away with a sly expression on his face.

"Thanks." Sasuke took off like a bullet. When he reached the parking lot, Sakura's car was not to be seen.

.

 **-Couple Days Later-**

Sasuke strolled alongslide Sakura while he walked her to her next class. They had just finished a studying for their upcoming final exam for Psychology. It went well for the most part. Sakura seemed back to her usual sarcastic self, but every so often, she'd glance around and look over shoulder.

He didn't want to ask about what was going on because he knew that she wanted some space. He respected that because Sakura was menstruating and it would be weird to ask about those kinds of personal issues.

"Pinky."

"Yeah?"

Sasuke handed her his spiral. In the process, he briefly saw her bruised wrist. "Hold this." He bent down and tied his shoelaces. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah...," Sakura dragged out her response longer than it should've been. "I'm doing a lot better. The cramps are easing up on me."

"You sure?"

The Pinkette nodded. "Yeah, plus I'm not bleeding as much."

"TMI," Sasuke muttered. He didn't buy into her obvious lie, but he let it slide. He rose to his feet and continued their walk. "Say, what happened to your wrist? It wasn't like that two days ago."

Sakura gulped. She kept telling herself to play it cool. "Um, well... I fell last night at LiveWire. I slipped and tried to catching myself but that failed."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I didn't know you went to a rave last night. Who was there last night?"

"It was a foam night," she responded quickly. "It was a dope show."

The two college students paced through Konoha University in silence.

"You sure you're okay? You look really terrible."

"Thanks for that," Sakura responded as she looked over her shoulder. "But yes, I'm okay. I started to feel sick. I think it's that Chipotle we ate the other day." She shuttered. "Almost gave me the runs." She grew extremely quiet and her jaded orbs were suddenly interested in the floor beneath her.

She stopped and turned to the Uchiha. "Well, my class is this way. I'll see you in Psych." Sasuke and Sakura said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

The Uchiha stood in place for a couple seconds and watched as the young woman paced to her class. He couldn't help but to be captivated by her beauty. There was truly no one like her. She had a dark past and to Sasuke, he wanted to be the one to put her at ease.

.

Sakura doodled in her notebook as her teacher ranted on and on about isotopes, ions, and other types of Chemistry vocabulary the Pinkette was not interested in. Her mind was on other things besides school.

She was still shaken with her run in with her Ex. Her nerves were flowing in fear, but she somehow played it cool. She didn't want her friends to think she was weak and could not handle her own problems. The last thing Sakura ever wanted to do was to drag those amazing people into her mess, especially Sasuke.

There was no telling what Sasori would do. He was a "All Bark but No Bite" type of guy, however, the bruise on her wrist told her otherwise. After their meeting, he was a completely different person than she remembered. It was scary to think that he could go as far as hurting, or even killing someone.

Her wrist was that sole proof.

All the thoughts piling into the Pinkette's head began to overwhelm her, so she quietly rose from her seat and exited the classroom. On the way out, she caught a glimpse of Shikamaru's orbs. She shot him a smile and the Nara nodded.

 _Fudge, I need water_ , she thought as she exhaled silently.

The young woman reached the fountain, took a long swig of the crystal liquid, and slowly paced to class. Not long after, she felt and odd sensation pulse through her veins. It was as if she was being watched. She swiveled her head around and sure enough, a man in red hair was right behind her.

 _FU-_

The Pinkette sped up to a sprint, but Sasori had grabbed her and pulled her into a secluded hallway. Sakura couldn't scream for help because one, his rough hands were placed on her mouth and two, she was too terrified to speak.

Sasori pushed her against the wall and signaled her to to shush. "Nice to see you again. You're looking beautiful as always." He removed his hand and waited for a response.

Sakura stood with disgust.

"I don't mean to intrude or anything, but I was hoping we could chat for a moment" The Pinkette stared at him, but he continued, "Well, I've been thinking. I know that we didn't end on the best of terms and we had a pretty sour relationship in the past."

"Abusive," Sakura corrected.

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyways, I know that I shouldn't have acted the way I did several days ago and I wanted to apologize for that."

She relaxed and mentally tried to wrap her brain around the current situation.

"I'm sorry." He reached out, grabbed his Ex's hands, and gazed into her lovely jaded orbs. "It's just that, I realized that I messed up and you mean the world to me. I'm an idiot for letting you go so easily. There's no one else I want but you. Sakura, you're the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I love you." He paused. "Let's start over."

Sakura was at a loss for words. This was the Sasori she knew. No matter what kind of argument they had, he'd always play the victim. He's make up some sappy story on how much of a screw up he was because his life was "hard" and nobody loved him. It was the same cycle repeated.

Sakura gulped nervously. "I... No."

"What?"

"I said no," she demanded. She knew better than to fall for his antics. "Look, if you came to apologize, I accept it. I forgive you Sasori, but I'll never forget what we were."

"You haven't even given it any thought."

"I don't need to. It's no regardless."

Sasori's face dropped and his eyebrows made a 'V'. "That's not fair!"

"It doesn't matter if I thought about it or not. You could be begging on your knees and I still won't take you back." Realizing how harsh she sounded, Sakura shook her head to recollect her thoughts. "I mean, look, there's no way we're getting back together. We were not meant for each other, Sasori. I don't have anything against you, but my focus is elsewhere."

"You're focused on him," her Ex deadpanned. "What does he have that I don't?! What's he to you?!"

"You have no business with him."

"If he has business with you, it's my business."

The Pinkette snorted and pulled her hands away. "You're not my boyfriend. You're my Ex and it's going to stay that way."

Out of anger, Sasori gripped her injured wrist and squeezed hard enough for Sakura to squeak in pain. Hearing that noise brought the man satisfaction to his ears. "You know, you've changed. Back then, you'd never have fought back."

"Get off of me."

"You actually seem much happier."

Sakura struggled to get loose. "Stop."

"Why? Why won't you give me a chance?!"

"Because... You're not the person I want to spend my life with!"

Sasori reached over and and slid a lock of soft pink hair behind her ear. "God, you're so beautiful, that much hasn't changed." He leaned in towards her face.

The Pinkette suck her hands out and fought back her Ex with all her might. There was no way she was going to fall for him. She did not want to repeat the horror she lived with years ago. "Sasori quit! I'm not going to kiss you!"

The man pushed his body forwards. "Come on! Relax will you? I've changed!"

Sakura's hand trailed up to her Ex's face as her last act of defense. With all the force she had left, she pushed his chin upwards, but in the process, accidentally scratched his eye. Sasori grumbled in agony and clutched his face.

"What the hell?!" He glared at the young woman. "That's it. I've tried reasoning with you, but you don't seem to get it. I guess I have to do things the hard way."

Sasori raised his arm up.

 _SLAP._

Sakura had no idea what happened. Her cheek felt hot and puffy, but with all the adrenaline in her system, she could not feel the pain. Not only her face but her body was numb.

"Let's try this again," he huffed in anger. He leaned in closely to her round face. "Let's start over."

She didn't want to accept it but also did not want live her life in constant fear. All this could be solved if Sakura simply agreed to become Sasori's girlfriend again.

Her mouth cracked open to speak, however images of Sasuke, her family, and friends engulfed her vision. It hit finally dawned on her that those very human beings were the ones that she loved the most. If she were to go back to him, it would be like stabbing them in the back. And if she was stabbing them in back, she was also stabbing herself.

Sakura didn't not want that.

She wanted to live the life she was living now.

This time, she was going to stand up for herself and not let herself falter with the poison he was giving her.

"So?" Sasori poked. "What do you-"

"No."

"What?!"

Sakura glanced at the redhead with confident and stern eyes. "No."

"Wow. You're seriously asking for it," he laughed sarcastically. "See, this is the reason why we had problems. It was because you never wanted to do anything I wanted!"

"Never once had you thought about me! The reason why we had problems was because of your selfish ass," Sakura retaliated. "I don't care what you tell me. I don't care if you hit me again. Shoot, kill me if you want, but my answer is still no."

Sasori curled his face in rage. "Stupid B***h!" He raised his arm once more.

Sakura closed her eyes and braced for the worst.

A few moments had got by and she heard Sasori gasp, "'The hell?!"

Her emerald eyes fluttered open and noticed a raven haired Uchiha's back facing to her. She peered over his shoulder and noticed that he was holding back Sasori's fist with ease.

The Uchiha cocked his head around. Sakura caught a glimpse of his eyes. For a brief second, she swore that there was a glint of red in them. It was like he had some secret ocular power he was hiding from the world.

"Sakura, are you okay?'

She nodded her head.

The young man noticed her red and swollen cheek. "What did he do to you," he asked as calmly as possible.

"You better not say a damn word," Sasori growled. "Remember what I said, I can ruin your life instantly."

The Pinkette bit her bottom lip. She could feel his eyes burn through the Uchiha's body.

Sasuke interrupted. "Let me ask again. Did he hit you, Sakura?"

The pressure around the three began to thicken so much that it was difficult for the Pinkette to breathe. Should she fess up or leave how things are? No. She couldn't do that, especially to Sasuke. He had been there for her since day one.

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Thank you. I promise that everything is going to be okay. You're safe with me now," Sasuke assured her.

She let out a puff of air. Sakura could now breathe and felt at peace.

Sasori snorted. "Tch. What a load of sh*t! I'm the only one she needs-"

His sentence was cut short due to the fact that a psychotic college student started smashing his face in his skull like there was there was no tomorrow.

Sasuke did not let the redhead have a chance to fight or even let him breathe for a second. As Sasori fell to the floor, the Uchiha got on top of him and continued to slam his fists in his so called, "mysterious" face.

"YOU LIKE TO HIT GIRLS, HUH?!"

Sasori coughed up a few inaudible words.

"SPEAK UP YOU PATHETIC ASS LOSER! COME ON! IF YOU HAVE BALL TO HIT GUYS, THEN SURELY YOU HAVE GIANT ONES TO HIT GIRLS!"

By this time, Sakura had already ran off to find help from a security guard or the nearest teacher. That was okay with Sasuke. It was plenty of time to avenge the one he loved. As he continued to pummel Sakura's Ex's face in, Shikamaru and a teacher appeared and attempted to pry him off the lifeless body.

Sasuke's last words to Sasori were, "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN BECAUSE IF YOU DO, I'LL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL, JUST LIKE YOU DID TO HERS."


	27. Chapter 27

Sasuke sat quietly outside the Dean's office as Sakura, and her parents, spoke with the Dean himself and a well known Police Officer. Chances were that they were trying to figure what happened and what they were going to do to solve the problem.

The door swung open and the Officer stood staring at him. Sasuke hung his head and stared at his bloody knuckles. It was satisfying to say that Sasori deserved every punch he received, but it hurt to say that he was going to be in major trouble. He knew what was coming so it was best to accept his fate.

"What happened?"

Sasuke looked up. "He was about to hit her and I stopped that from happening."

"Was using excessive force necessary?"

"Officer, she had a gigantic red mark across her face. What was I supposed to do? Watch her get hit again and do nothing? Honestly, I didn't use excessive force. If that guy had the nerve to lay a hand on a girl, especially Sakura, he deserved way more than what I just did." The Uchiha curled his fists. "I was protecting her, that's all."

The Sheriff wrote down several words on his notepad. "So you thought that sticking your nose in someone's business was going to solve the issue?"

"Stranger or not, no one deserves to be to be bullied or abused. I was standing up for someone who desperately needed help. Like I said before, I wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and just watch a person get hit. I did what was right."

The Law Enforcement Officer flipped a page in his notebook, scribbled, and ripped the page out. "Well, I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. The worst that could happen is you receiving a warrant for your arrest. Even then, it shouldn't be anything too serious. I'll be reviewing footage from the cameras and I'll get back to you." He handed his son the paper. "Go straight home. Have a nice day."

Sasuke shoved the note into his pocket, watched as his Father left the building, and waited for the Pinkette and her parents to finish their meeting. There were times where he was afraid of his Dad, but this was one of the few times he wasn't. Yes, he got himself into trouble, however, he did the right thing. It wasn't like Sasuke was caught smoking weed or shooting up a store, he was defending the one he cared for. He doubt that his Father was going to do anything. The worst that would happen is him getting the lecture of a lifetime.

"Sasuke!" A woman cried from the bottom of her lungs. Mebuki had rushed out of the room and was followed by her daughter and husband. "I don't even know where to begin! Thank you so much! You don't know... Sakura... Me...," she rambled on as her eyes grew watery. Her eyes glanced to his bloodied hands. "OH MY! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! DO WE NEED TO TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?!"

"No Ma'am. I'm fine, really," Sasuke assured her as he stood up respectfully. "I apologize for causing a scene. As you can tell, I had to get my hands dirty in order to protect your daughter."

"No one cares about that idiot," Kizashi interjected as he grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. "Come, I want to speak to you about an important matter." The man pulled him to the side and the young Uchiha gulped nervously.

He was sure that he ruined his chances with Sakura.

"You did a good job," Kizashi congratulated. "If I were you, I would have kept punching until he could no longer breathe."

"Thank you Sir."

"Don't misunderstand me. I do not condone violence of any sort, but since my little girl was in trouble, you did a great job. Well, you could have at least broken a rib or two. That pathetic piece of crap deserves every ounce of pain there is to offer."

The Uchiha broke out into a half smile. "I would say I'd do a better job next time, but there will be no next time. You don't have to worry about Sasori any longer."

Mr. Haruno stared at the boy with all the respect in the world. This kid was not a bad kid. He meant well and has proved it many times to him. This kid was different and he liked him. "Let's go Mebuki."

"What about Sakura?! We can't leave her-"

"She'll be fine." The pink haired man turned to Sasuke. "I can trust you, can't I?"

"Yes Sir."

Kizashi nodded and the Haruno's left the two students standing alone.

Sasuke turned to the Pinkette. She seemed fine, but her eyes were glazed over. It would be an understatement to say that she has had a long day. "How are you feeling?" He questioned breaking the silence.

"I want to go home."

He couldn't blame her. Sasuke just wanted to take a nap. "I'll walk you to your car."

She shook her head. "My Dad had dropped me off this morning because my ride is in the shop."

"Then I'll take you home."

They silently walked to his car. There was too much going on in their minds to say anything. From the time the fight broke out to the point they were at now, it had been a little over an hour. It was all a blur and the whole situation was finally settling into their bodies.

When they reached the vehicle, Sakura quietly asked, "Can we just go to your place instead? I don't really want to talk to my parents right now."

The Uchiha nodded and drove off to his secure and cozy home.

.

Sakura sat on Sasuke's floor while Sasuke was laying down on his bed. As much as he loved the peace and quiet, it was killing him because Sakura had yet to say a word since the car ride. He knew that she had s much to say, but once again, she was hiding her feelings.

Sasuke closed his eyes and inhaled. The more he thought about it, the more angry he became. He reminded himself that the worst was over and there was no point in getting worked up about her Ex. It pissed him off knowing that Sasori had laid a hand on Sakura and that alone was unforgivable.

No one hurts Sakura and gets away with it.

He began to doze off until he heard broken sniffles. He cracked one of his orbs open and saw Sakura standing right before his mirror. He shot up from bed in a state of alertness. "Are you okay?!"

No response.

"Sakura?"

"I'm okay," she called out trying to sound normal. "I'm okay. I'm okay... I'm... not okay!" Tears poured from her eyes and she broke down.

Sasuke jumped to his feet and rushed over to the distressed girl. "What's wrong?!"

"I was so scared, Sasuke," she choked. "I thought he was going to kill me. I was sure he was!"

The Uchiha reached over and placed his hand on Sakura's delicate shoulder. She flinched and relaxed immediately, apologizing nonstop to him.

Screw her Ex. He deserved a bigger punishment that just to be locked up for a couple days in jail. Saori should be dead. Sasuke would have killed him for sure, but Shikamaru and a teacher payed him off.

"I almost fell for it," Sakura quivered.

"What?"

The Pinkette twisted her body and faced her hero. "I almost fell for him. I was so close to getting back with him. Sasori, he's too good with words. They're like honey and venom at the same time. He threatened me and said he was going to hurt you guys. I didn't want that to happen! If I got back with him, it was because I wanted to keep you guys happy!"

The raven haired Uchiha sat quietly as she continued to vent her feelings. The more time ticked along, the more his heart was breaking. She didn't deserve this. Sakura Haruno didn't deserve to go through such an awful experience. Of all the friends in the group, she deserved happiness more than anyone. For Sakura to stand up for herself and take a stand for what she believed in, especially against her biggest demon, she was incredibly strong. It takes monstrous strength, both physical and mental, to fight back someone as abusive as her Ex.

Because of that, Sasuke loved her that much more.

"I'm sorry for not making it in time. You know, when he...," his voice trailed off as he carefully traced her bruised cheek. It pained him to see her her perfect porcelain skin damaged.

Sakura wiped her tears. "It's okay. You're not to blame."

"No. If I had made it sooner, he wouldn't have hit you." Sasuke took a couple beep breaths to keep himself becoming possessed with rage. "Gosh Sakura! I could have protected you if I-" He felt a pair of arms slide around his neck and a warm body push against his.

"How did you know I was there?" The Pinkette questioned in a whisper.

"You have my notebook. I had texted you, but you didn't answer. I had remembered that Shikamaru mentioned that you guys had a class together so I had texted him and decided to walk over to the class. By sheer luck, I just happened to hear commotion and see that it was you." His arms involuntarily wrapped around her waist. The smell of cherry blossoms filled his nose and the memories from Kirigakure returned.

"Thank you," she cooed.

"You're welcome," he replied.

Sakura pulled herself away from Sasuke and stared into his onyx eyes. Her fingers crawled up to his face and ever so lightly traced his cheeks. Sasuke cupped her uninjured buccal and gazed into her perfect emerald eyes.

Both young adults leaned in.

Their lips locked like the last piece to a complicated puzzle.

They stayed in that position for about a minute or so before Sasuke decided to speed the motion of his lips. He brought her close and began to put his love into her.

 _Oh Kami. She's perfect_ , he thought. Never had the Uchiha thought he was going to say this, but the very young woman in front of him was the one. There was no one else like, nor did he want anyone else.

She was the one.

Saskue finally broke the tension between them by gingerly pulling away. He frowned realizing that he may have crossed a line, but he was shocked to see Sakura smiling like an idiot. "What's so funny?"

"Your breath tastes like tomatoes."

His face turned into a bright shade of crimson and he covered his mouth in utter mortification. "Oh. I'm so sorry!"

"I'm kidding," Sakura giggled.

He relaxed and growled under his breath. "Way to ruin the moment."

Sakura rested her head against his pectoral and sighed.

"You feeling better?"

"I don't know what to feel, to be honest. One moment, a guy slaps the crap out me. Then the next moment, another is kissing me. I'm so confused I don't know what to do. Ugh, why are guys so confusing?!" She dug her face deeper into his chest. "I'm just worried that he'll be after me once he gets out."

"You don't need to worry about him. As long as I'm here, he won't be coming near you. I've made the message loud and clear. In fact, I don't think he'll be seeing anyone for a long while." Sasuke brought her chin up with his fingers so he could meet her gaze. He looked at her lips. "May I?"

She nodded.

They kissed once more, only this time, it was more passionate than the last.

Suddenly, the door swung open. "Sasuke, I need to- What's going on here?" His Father stood clueless as to why the kids were standing on the opposite sides of the room with red faces. He had an idea but decided that it was best to let it go so things wouldn't get awkward, but then again, as a parent, it was his duty to make things awkward. "I hope you guys are saving room for Jesus."

"O-Of c-course, Officer," Sakura choked nervously.

"Nothing's going on, Dad. What's up?" From the looks of it, Sasuke's Father just had returned from the station because he was currently in uniform. It only meant that he was still on duty and had news about the whole Sasori situation.

Fugaku closed his eyes and let out a painful sigh. "Never would I thought the day would come, but, I hope you'll forgive me son." He called out to his partner. Another Officer strolled into the room, grabbed Sasuke's wrist, twisted it around to his back, and whipped out a set of cuffs.

As he was cuffing the young man, the Officer began to talk to him in a calm manner. "Sasuke Uchiha, I'm placing you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"

"No sir." Saskue couldn't believe he was being arrested. To make matters worse, in his own house and in front of the girl he loved. Honestly, he knew that it was coming since he went a bit overboard with the punches. He wanted to fight back, but he had remembered his Dad telling him that was one of the worst things you could do. It was better to suck it up and not resist the arrest.

Well, there goes his peaceful life.

As he was being dragged out, Sakura followed closely. "No Officer, wait!"

Itachi heard the commotion and ran out of this room. He held the Pinkette back and his eyes widened are in horror. "Father?! What's going on?!"

Mikoto joined in the chaos and stood next to her eldest son and the panicked girl. "Everything is going to be fine! I've called a lawyer and talked to your Father."

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura cried out. "You can't so this to him! He's not guilty!"

Sasuke turned his head and saw the distressed woman. Of all the things running through his mind, there only one thing that was swimming around:

Sakura was beautiful.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I'll be fine!"

The Sheriff, his partner, and Sasuke exited the house and made their way to the Police Cruiser. With all the family tension hanging in the air, no one dared to say a word. Who would have thought that the City's Sheriff's own son was going to be arrested?

Fugaku opened the door to his car and Sasuke slid in the backseat. Just as he got comfortable, there was a piece of paper lying on the seat. He quickly recognized it as the paper his Dad had given him earlier in the day. It must have fell from his pocket as he was getting into the vehicle

He read the contents and smiled, trying not to let tears escape the corners of his eyes.

 _No matter what happens, I'm proud of you._

His Father had never been one to express any sort of emotion to anyone so reading his note meant more than anything in the world. He had to give his Dad credit for trying because even though he wasn't the best Father in the world, he still cared about his sons.

Sasuke grinned and looked out the window. "Thanks, Sheriff Uchiha."

From the corner of his eyes, his Father cracked a smile and nodded. The two Law Enforcement Officers got into the car and began to drive away to their destination.


	28. Chapter 28

For the next couple weeks, Sasuke was brought into trial for Battery and Assault. After the beating he gave to Sasori, it was deemed that he used a large amount of excessive force, though he was standing up for Sakura. He was not too worried though, his parents had hired one of the best layers in town, Orochimaru. He was a well known Law figure and he was making a name for himself in the world.

Orochimaru went straight to work. He researched not only Sasuke's background but Sasori's as well for any sort of run in with the Law. He assured the young man that there was nothing to be afraid of. The worst thing he had on record was a speeding ticket. Everything was clean. He had the best grades, trustworthy friends, a great job, and a loving family.

The only problem they ran into was the evidence. Sheriff Uchiha had reviewed the tape of the incident numerous times, in various angles, but it showed the same thing: Sasori pulling in Sakura into a hallway. The way the cameras were positioned had created a blind spot.

That's what they just needed at a time like this. Sasuke's and Sakura's testimony alone would not suffice. What they needed was cold hard facts but it looks like they were out of luck. They anticipated that Sasori would be smart of the situation, but they didn't realize that he had planned it all from the start. He was smarter than they thought he was. Sadly, they were stumped.

Just before the final trial, Sakura pulled Orochimaru off to the side and stated that she was going to use her last string of hope to ensure Sasuke's win. The lawyer demanded the girl to reveal what she had in mind, but all the Pinkette did was open her hand and show him a small object that laid in her palm. Orochimaru nodded and promised go along with what she had.

On the day of the trial, Sasori was called to the stand for his side of the story. As usual, he came up with a sappy, cry baby testimony of how he was attacked out of the blue by Sasuke. As far as Sakura's cheek injury, he blamed in on her getting in the way of the fight.

The Uchiha's and the Haruno's were outraged with his statements. They all knew very well he was a filthy liar. No matter what evidence the Uchiha's lawyer threw, the Judge and the Jury didn't seem to buy into it. Even with Sakura's story, they didn't seem to budge.

Sasori had a way with words and he was damn good with them. He had everyone wrapped around his finger.

Just as the Judge was going to give his final verdict, Sakura nudged Orochimaru. He nodded and stood to his feet. "Your Honor, the witness would like to say a few words."

"Objection! They cannot interfere before you will call a verdict," the opposing lawyer called out as he rose.

"Overruled," the Judge responded with a boring look. "You may take the stand young lady."

Sakura walked over to the Judge's panel and slipped him a USB drive. "Please connect this to your computer and open the folder that reads 'Saori.'"

At first, the man hesitantly reached for the drive. He looked into her desperate jaded orbs and decided that he was going to do what she said. He plugged the device into the computer and began to scroll through the folder. He propped himself up in his chair as he scrolled through what appeared to be about a hundred photos of Sakura's body covered in scars and bruises. The farther he reached the bottom, the worse they got. "Explain yourself this instant."

"I know this doesn't prove that Sasori did this during our relationship, but he was the one that did this to me. You see, things were a bit... abusive."

"Objection! The witness said so herself that those photos do not prove my client did-"

"Overruled! Continue."

The Pinkette began to explain from the day her and the red head met to the incident. "If you click on the folder that says 'Messages', I took lots of screenshots of our messages. His phone number is in there as well."

"Are you sure that the number is his?"

"Unless Sasori changed his number from the day we broke up to now, I know that it is. I don't know if you can, but you can try calling him."

"Objection!"

"Overruled!" The Judge demanded that his cellphone was to be brought out. He reached over and punched numbers into his desk phone.

Sasori's phone began to ring in the plastic bag.

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.

Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke.

Checkmate.

"Objection! Your-"

"Shut up with the objections!" The man at the podium read over the various messages and images once more. He politely asked the young woman if he could display the files for everyone in the court room to see. She agreed to it and closed her eyes.

There was a simultaneous gasp throughout the room. Everyone's eye grew with horror. Through a slideshow, Sakura's wounds and inflictions were being shown. Her parents had no idea this had happened to her because the blood from their faces drained to their feet. Her injuries were well hidden from plain sight when she wore clothes.

Out of frustration, Sasori jumped to his feet and attempted to grab his Ex. Within the couple steps he took, guards had already held him back before he could get to her. "I TOLD YOU TO DELETE THOSE MESSAGES, YOU F***ING B***H! I SWEAR IF I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-"

The Judge slammed his mighty gravel against his desk. "Jury, all in favor for the Defendant in being guilty, raise your hands."

Not one soul raised their arms.

"Sasori, I sentence you to ten years in jail for Domestic Abuse and Battery and another five for perjury. After you have served your time, a restraining order will be placed." He tapped the hammer once more. "Meeting is adjourned."

Mikoto and the Haruno's sighed with relief and Sakura and the gang cheered with happiness.

Sasuke was beyond happy when the Judge had finally had a change of heart. The stress on his shoulders had been weighing on his body for so long and for it to now be instantly lifted off was one of the best feelings in his life. He was so close to becoming a criminal, but with the help of the Pinkette, he dodged a bullet.

Before he was dragged out of the room, a stern and deep voice called out to him. "Sasuke Uchiha?"

The college boy turned around and noticed the Judge standing before him. He shot up to his feet and fumbled with his words. "Y-Your Honor-r!"

The man smiled and motioned him to sit. "No need for the formal talk. If I'm not on the desk, you can call me Mr. Hatake. Anyways, I just wanted to say, you did a fine job in protecting that young woman." He shook Sasuke's hand. "Stay out of trouble and have a nice day."

"Yes Mr. Hatake," the Uchiha responded cooly.

The guard dragged him away and in less than an hour, Sasuke was released from jail. As soon as his feet stepped out of the Police Station, his friends and family crowded around him, congratulated him, and took turns hugging the boy. Sakura had finally managed to squeeze through the chaos and in an instant, Sasuke embraced the girl with all his might.

"I'm so glad to be back. You don't have to worry about Sasori any longer. Anyways, jail sucks so much." He laughed.

"This is all my fault. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"No, if it wasn't for you, I'd be in jail at this very moment. Besides, even if I did have to go to jail, if it was for you, I'd be glad to be in there."

The two lovebirds stared into the depths of their soul.

The group of friends around them began to chant, "KISS. KISS. KISS. KISS," over and over. The Uchiha had leaned in to kiss the girl but caught a glimpse of a certain pink haired man shooting him a death glare.

"Eh, well," Sasuke nervously laughed. "Anyways, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving."

Naruto busted through the crowd and yelled, "ME TOO! Let's all head over to Ichiraku's!"

Everyone agreed and began to disperse themselves to the restaurant. Sasuke tapped Sakura's shoulders and grinned ear to ear. "Mind if I ride with you? I don't know if you knew this, but I've been incarcerated for the past two weeks so I don't have a car."

"Nah. You can walk," Sakura replied. Sasuke shot her a menacing look. "I'm kidding!" She giggled. "Of course you can ride with me." She laced her fingers through his. "So, I've been meaning to ask, what are we?"

"Well, what do you want us to be?"

"Something, I guess."

Sasuke let go of her hand and teased her. "Well, if you want, you can leave me in friendzone for all I care."

The Pinkette snorted sarcastically. "Hey, you said it yourself! I don't mind us being friends." She began to walk to her car, but she felt her body being pulled back. Sasuke twirled her around and smashed his lips against hers.

"Are you sure you're okay with us being friends?" He closed his lips around hers again and kissed her. "Or do you just want to be official?"

"Official," Sakura responded inaudibly with a bright red face.

The Uchiha laughed and held his girlfriend's hand as they walked side by side. "Let's go. I don't know about you, but I want to get out of here."

The newly couple walked hand in hand into what would be considered one of the most memorable days of their lives.

.

 **-About a Year Later-**

The Pinkette rushed through the hotel room as she got dressed. "Sasuke, hurry up! We're going to be late!"

The Uchiha stormed out of the bathroom and threw on a random muscle shirt from his travel bag. "You're annoying! I can't even stand you! I can't take a piss without being interrupted! It's not my fault we woke up late!"

"Screw me for forgetting to set the alarm!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow slyly. "With pleasure."

Sakura rolled her orbs and she finished braiding her hair. "You're an idiot." She left the bathroom and stood in front of her boyfriend. "How do I look?"

His eyes scanned around her outfit. She wore a tye dye shirt with a pair of black Nike shorts and shoes. Her wrists were covered in Kandi, a fanny pack was around her waist, and her hair was in her signature rave day hair style. "You look beautiful." He kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Thanks babe! Now let's go!" She pulled him out of the room and made their way to Mega Music Festival, where they had decided to make it a yearly event.

Throughout the entirety of the three day fest, the couple remembered at sorts of memories they had when they both had attended the previous year together. Nothing had changed. The music was loud as ever, people were dressed in odd costumes, and Sakura was bouncing all over the place.

They came across a stage where Kaskade was currently playing. Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other and walked the opposite way. There was no way they were going to to repeat that mess.

On the third day, Tiesto had taken over the MainStage and they both made their way to enjoy his set. A good thirty minutes in, Sasuke heard his favorite song being played.

 **Some days we slip into our dream where are/Free to be are that we can be**

Sasuke turned to look at his girl.

 **Feel the moment so alive/Dive into your eyes where you can't hide**

He laced his hands through hers.

 **You're so close to me (x3) So close...**

 _Kami, she's so beautiful._

 **You're so close to me (x3) So close...**

 _She's the one._

The beat dropped and the two danced the night away without a care in the world.


	29. Epilogue

Sasuke switched the TV on and he rushed out to the oven to save his pre-made pizza from being burned to a crisp. Today was a big day and there was no was he was going to miss it. The big game was being broadcasted around the world for everyone to see.

The Land of Fire's soccer team was going up against their long time rivals, the Land of Sand. If the Fire won this game, it meant that they would advance to the Finals to play against the Land of Clouds to win the World Cup.

This was the moment he had been waiting for his entire life. All his tears, sweat, and blood had been spilt for this very event.

The Uchiha heard the opening ceremony of the tournament blast on the television and he rushed into the living room and plopped onto the couch with his food. He brought his hands up and prayed like his life depended on it.

 _Please let them win Kami. I promise to wash the dishes for the rest of my life._

"Papa!" A small child ran over and sat next down in the empty seat next to him. "Is it time?"

Sasuke pulled his daughter into his lap. "You made it in time Sarada!"

"Where's Mama?!"

He pointed to the TV. "She's right there."

The screen panned over to two line of women walking out of the tunnel in a professional manner. Their uniforms gleamed with the highest form of respecting man had ever seen. The rows suddenly formed a long line and each player held their head high in front of the crazy crowd.

Each team sang their appropriate National Anthem. While this happened, the camera zoomed in closely to a certain pink haired woman in a white and green jersey.

 _Uchiha 3_

Sasuke's heart soared with passion and Sarada whispered, "WOAHHHH" under her breath. "Mama sure is amazing!"

The camera angle changed and it now was focused in on her face. Sakura's expression was quite serious as she sang, but he knew very well that she was extremely happy to be there. Playing on the field was her life and with everything that she had gone through, she deserved it more than anyone on the planet.

Sakura beat the odds and made her debut at the late age of twenty-five. Achieving this feat was far from easy. It was the most difficult decision she had ever made in her life. After she had given birth to her beautiful daughter, the Pinkette decided to quit pursuing her dream as a professional athlete. She was a bit upset, but she didn't want to sacrifice the time between her and her family.

Sasuke was rather upset by her choice. He begged her for months, nearly a year, to continue her career. It was perfectly acceptable for a female athlete to had a child and continue playing, but Sakura did not think it was the smartest idea. Often times, the two would have very heated discussions about whether she was making the right choice or not. It usually ended up with Sasuke sleeping on the couch for a night or two.

Finally after a long day of work, Sasuke came home to Sakura crying her eyes out. He rushed over to see what was wrong and sure enough, she desperately needed to step out onto the field. Seeing her in that broken state was like the time she had broke down on the soccer field years ago back in their college days. Nothing was worse than Sasuke seeing his wife depressed over what she loved. He talked to her one last time and finally convinced her to play again.

Now, she was standing on the green pasture with not only a hundred thousand fans in a stadium, but millions of people admiring her on TV.

"This is the first time ever, in the history, the Land of Fire had made it past Round Sixteen," a sports commentator said as he broke the Uchiha's train of thought. "This team has promising players, but there is one that everyone will be watching. Sakura Uchiha has been the talk of the last year."

"Oh yes! She's an important, if not, THE most important aspect of the team. Debuting her career about a year and a half ago, she has proved that she has raw talent, and most of all, more passion than any human on this Earth." another announcer added. "If Fire wins this cup, Sakura has a HUGE chance of winning the Balon D'Or."

"She's not only a promising player but a monster on the field. There is no doubt that the woman has made such an impact in the world of soccer. Even the greatest of male players, such as Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar, have recognized and that alone says so much."

The commentators continued their review over players, teams, and tactics that Sasuke had tuned them out without knowing. He glanced Sarada, who was still sitting in his lap.

Not only was his wife the best female player, she was also the most loving Mother. It was difficult for her to temporarily leave her family for trainings and games to follow her dream, but Sasuke assured her that no matter what happened, he and Sarada were going to be next to her through it all.

"Yup. Mama is sure amazing," Sasuke responded as he buried his face in his daughter's back. He would have been in that same very stadium with Sakura, but his job didn't let him. At the last minute, his boss let him have the week off, but he took into consideration of Sarada. She was not ready for the traveling.

Sure, he could have dropped her off at her grandparents house, however, it wouldn't have been the same. Sakura wanted ALL of her family to be there. They had decided that if they were to show up to a game, it would be the Finals, so her husband called in for that week instead.

The girl turned around and jumped up and down. "PAPA! IT'S STARTING!"

The whistle on the television sounded and the game was underway. At that moment, Kizashi busted through the door, along with Mebuki, and the family began to chant from the bottom of their lungs.

"GO MAMA GO!" Sarada repeated over and over.

Throughout the entirety of the game, Sasuke and Kizashi screamed like mad men at every little call the ref made, shot the teams kicked, and saves the goalkeepers managed to get to. Sarada stared at their every move and copied every single gesture.

The game had gone into overtime and the score was tied 2-2 and the clock read 119'. If the score stayed the same by the time the clock reached 120'+, they would automatically go into a penalty shootout. That was the last thing the teams needed at this point. The pressure was up at everyones throat and the game needed to end now.

The Fire country had possession of the ball and they were determined to score.

The defender passed a ball to a midfielder and that player controlled the ball and looked for an opening. She sent a through ball to one of the Forwards, but the opposing team and pulled an offsides trap on the player. Just as the side Ref was going to raise his flag, the ball soared over the Forward's head and went straight to the sideline.

The ball wasn't meant for that player.

Fire's number three had snuck through the defense and received the ball with grace.

It was a trap that trapped the trap.

Sakura cut in and ran to goal. The crowd jumped to their feet and shouted all sorts of madness. Sasuke shot up to his feet and yelled with all his might.

The Pinkette was now one on one with the Goalie.

She pulled a feint, crossed the keeper, and chipped the sphere into the goal.

3-2

122:34'

The Center Ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the game.

Everyone lost it.

More than half the crowd jumped and cheered for their favorite player.

Sasuke and Kizashi hugged each other in ecstasy, toppling over the couch. Sarada ran to her Grandmother and they both cried tears of joy.

Before the Pinkette was tackled by her frenzied teammates, she ran up to the nearest camera, kissed her ring finger, and blew a kiss into the lens.

Sasuke's heart fluttered and tears escaped the corner of his eyes.

Sakura and her team were advancing to the Finals. All her handwork led up to this very moment and there nothing that could take it away from her.

 **-FIN-**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **AH! THANKS SO MUCH FOR KEEPING UP WITH THIS STORY! You have no idea how much it means to me! :)**

 **Until next time!**


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